The National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) has warned the public against using banknotes for decorative and celebratory purposes, saying the practice damages the currency and leads to unnecessary replacement costs. ALSO READ: Five arrested over abuse of national currency In a public notice issued on February 5, the central bank said banknotes and coins had been increasingly used in money bouquets, floral arrangements, and other decorative creations for social events and ceremonies. These practices are commonly carried out by florists, traders, event decorators, designers, gifting stylists, and their clients, it stated. BNR explained that during such uses, banknotes are often folded, glued, taped, pinned, clipped, or affixed with adhesives and other fastening materials, compromising their physical integrity. Once damaged, the notes become unsuitable for use in cash-handling and processing equipment such as cash-counting machines and automated teller machines (ATMs), which are critical to the country’s cash distribution system, it observed. The damage, the bank said, results in the premature withdrawal and replacement of banknotes, creating avoidable costs that ultimately burden the national economy. As the sole authority mandated to manage the Rwandan currency, the National Bank of Rwanda cautioned the public against any practice that defaces or impairs the national currency. “The National Bank of Rwanda reminds the public that anyone who willfully defaces, mutilates, or otherwise impairs the Rwandan currency note commits an offence punishable by Law N° 68/2018 of 30/08/2018,” BNR stated in the notice. Article 270 of the 2018 law determining offences and penalties in general, provides that any person who maliciously damages monies commits an offence. Upon conviction, they are liable to imprisonment for two to three months. The central bank reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the national currency and said it would continue public sensitisation and engagement with stakeholders to protect the quality, usability, and public confidence in Rwandan Franc banknotes. The practice of using banknotes as decorative items has also been observed in other countries. On Monday, February 2, 2026, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) similarly cautioned residents against using Kenyan shilling notes for decorative purposes such as floral-like bouquets and ornamental displays. CBK warned that such acts amount to defacing the currency and could attract severe penalties, including imprisonment of up to seven years under Kenyan law.
