For eight decades, Kenya only had one brewery and unsurprisingly, it wasn’t even owned by a Kenyan. In 1997, Tabitha Karaja started her journey in the brewing industry and changed the face of it. She started off with a humble fortified wine business and the rest is history. Today, she’s at the helm of the only large-scale brewery in Kenya, Keroche Breweries, actually owned by a Kenyan. Here are five things you need to know about this absolute badass woman.
She’s taken blows at every step: In 1997, Tabitha Karanja along with her husband started making fortified wine, and their target was the lower end of the market. They grew exponentially. However, in 2007, the government levied heavy taxes on locally produced wines, her product was priced out of the market. She also had to face the wrath of the monopolies she was taking on. Her business came to a standstill when she was asked to pay Sh1.2 billion in 14 days to the system, but managed to win the court case. She also had to battle charges of unethical trade practices that caused her Keroche billboards to be taken down. It wasn’t an easy path.
She is original and innovative: Due to the tax blow, she switched to manufacturing ready-to-drink gin and vodka (which her avant-garde units still make, unsurprisingly) and that was her first step towards becoming the legend that she is. Since Keroche entered the market, there has been a steady hike in the number of drinkers, with 22.8 percent of men and 9.8 percent of women drinking according to the World Health Organisation.
The origin of Summit: In 2008, she added a new product, a beer, to her range of quality liquors and this brand was called “Summit”. Today, the Summit brand of beers produced by Keroche Breweries have a loyal fanbase and its popularity is inspiring thousands of Kenyans to be entrepreneurs.
The million dollar plan: Her biggest achievement so far has to be the state of the art Keroche brewing plant she has built. This facility is in Naivasha, Kenya and every part of the plant is incredibly automated with the latest technology at a cost of 2 billion Kenyan shillings. It’s a huge accomplishment considering Kenya’s markets.
She’s taking on the giants: According to Marketplace Africa, Keroche Breweries expanded its production levels from 10 million litres of beer a year to 110 million litres to meet Kenya’s increased demand. However, irrespective of it, Keroche Breweries only controls two percent of the nation’s beer market. The market leader East African Breweries Limited, a part of multinational company Diageo, holds a 71 percent market share. She’s fearless and intends to take on EABL to ensure that the native brand gets its due.
