2 Million Litres of beer could go into waste after Keroche Factory closure - Tabitha Karanja

Keroche has outstanding tax arrears of Sh 322 Million.

• The beer is under fermentation in the tanks  and is worth Kshs.512 Million.

Keroche Breweries CEO Tabitha Karanja
Keroche Breweries CEO Tabitha Karanja

Keroche Breweries CEO Tabitha Karanja has released a statement explaining the recent closure of the factory located in Naivasha. 

In the Statement, Tabitha explains that the factory has been closed due to outstanding tax arrears of Sh 322 Million that accrued from February 2021.

The aspiring Nakuru Senator went on to explain that the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020 are among the reasons the company failed to perform their tax obligations. 

"The effects of the pandemic were not only on the loss of lives but serious erosion of the business environment leading to the closure of businesses, loss of employment and the attendant income among other effects," she said in part. 

She explains that even though the effects of Coronavirus are beginning to decline, the high political temperatures in the country is another challenge to businesses. 

However, this is not the first time KRA is closing the factory. It has been a back and forth - closing and reopening four times since December 2021. 

"From 1st February 2022 to date, we have remained closed and yet we have over 2Million litres of beer worth about Kshs 512 Million in our tanks which have fixed costs to a tune of about Kshs 30 Million required to maintain the same monthly," Tabitha adds. 

She says the losses that can occur as a result of the closure includes;

i) Loss of 2 Million Litres of beer in the tanks under fermentation worth Kshs.512 Million.

ii) Loss of 250 direct jobs originating from all over Kenya whose livelihoods depend on the existence of the company.

iii) Loss of income to thousands of Kenyans who are indirectly involved in the distribution network. iv) Erosion of the Investors confidence both Local & Foreign

She added, "My question to you all is: If there is an issue, do you kill the hen that lays the eggs or you find out why the hen isn’t laying more eggs and you fix that situation?"

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