President Uhuru Kenyatta says this shows his country has a come a long way.

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The Kenyan decision is an attempt to prevent the glorification of political leaders.

Previous coins bore the likenesses of ex-rulers Joma Kenyatta, Daniel Arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki.

All three also had their images printed on banknotes during their rule.

Many Kenyans felt this was an attempt by the leaders to promote themselves and the cult of the personality

New coins have at their heads lions, elephants, giraffes and rhinos.

Hailing what he calls this big change is President Uhuru Kenyatta who has promised never to have his picture on Kenya’s currency. 

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Molewa fell ill while accompanying Ramaphosa to China earlier this month. She died at a Pretoria Hospital, aged 61.

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The ruling African National Congress endorsed President Cyril Ramaphosa remarks that Edna Molewa’s death was a devastating loss. She was Water and Environmental Affairs Minister for eight years.

Opposition parties paid tribute to Molewa’s work protecting the environment and particularly in fighting the poaching of rhino and elephant.

The World Wildlife Fund paid tribute to her significant contribution to safeguarding the environment and noted that on her watch there had been a decline in rhino deaths these past three years.

Five years ago the WWF gave Molewa its highest honour, the Gift To The Earth Award.

Figures released in Friday showed 508 rhinos had been poached nationally between the beginning of the year and end of August, compared with 691 deaths  last year.

Elephants, however, are falling prey to poachers in greater numbers. 58 of the giant beast have been killed for their tusks in the Kruger National Park – South Africa largest game reserve – this year.

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The UN body has strengthened actions to combat illicit wildlife trafficking and increase protection to entire groups of species.

Secretary General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of flora and fauna John Scanlon calls the conference of the parties in Sandton the most critical meeting that CITES has delivered for the world’s wildlife in its 43 years of existence.

He tells the closing ceremony , which came a day earlier than scheduled, that the conference  is a game changer for the planet’s most vulnerable wild animals and plants.

The more than 3 500 delegates took decisions on 62 species including retaining the ban on the sale of ivory and rhino horn.

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No fewer than 3 500 delegates have been accredited to Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species known as CITIES

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The fate of the savannah elephant, poached at a rate of 35 000 a year for their tusks, and the rhino, more than a thousand of which are illegally slain every year for their horns rests with the policymakers, activists and academics meeting in Sandton for the next ten days.

It’s the first time CITIES is being held in the country that houses the largest number of rhinos and second largest elephant population on the planet.

Participants from 182 countries will  regulate the status of 500 species of endangered animals and plants.

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Two thirds of the 1020 rhino illegally killed this year for their horns have died in this eastern park which is the size of Israel.

Rhino poaching in South Africa has reached record levels this year –triple the number of three years ago.

The animals are killed for their horn which is shipped mainly to Asia where gram for gram it is more valuable than platinum.

Made of keratin – the same substance as human finger nails – the horns are misguidedly believed to have medicinal properties.

South African authorities are cracking down on poaching which is killing rhinos faster than they can breed.

Some 164 suspected poachers have been arrested in Kruger Park in 2014, about 30 more than last year,

Rangers say the activity usually spikes midsummer when the foliage is at its thickest and rain covers poachers’ tracks.

They grimly refer to it has the Christmas rush for poachers.

They have increased patrols in the park and are moving the animals further away from the Mozambique border which many of the poachers cross.

The national parks service says the alleged poachers were killed in a series of shootouts.

Three others were wounded and arrested and six escaped.

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