Keroche reopens after High Court orders police to remove padlocks

NAKURU: Keroche Breweries got a reprieve after the Government removed padlocks and seals placed on its spirits plant and branded stores.

Senior Government officers, acting on a directive from the High Court, hurriedly removed the padlocks that had paralysed operations at the Naivasha-based plant.

The officers, led by Nakuru County AP Commander Francis Kirathe, pulled back from the premises, two weeks after it was closed down in unclear circumstances.

Two weeks ago, armed police officers and Naivasha MP John Kihagi directed that the multi-million-shilling spirit plant be closed down.

However, the management went to court seeking the reopening of the premises and barring the MP, police, Nacada and the provincial administration from interfering with their operations.

The court directed that the Inspector General of Police removes padlocks, seals and any gadgets placed on the plant until a case in court is heard and determined.

Addressing the Press after the reopening Tuesday afternoon, Operations Manager Nicholas Kipchirchir said the firm had incurred huge losses.

He said that they were still in the darkn as to why the plant and the stores were closed adding that they would pursue the matter further in court.

Mr Kipchirchir alleged an ulterior motive behind the closure of the spirit plant.

He defended the company products noting that they met all the set standards and promised their customers that the Crescent brand would be back in the market.

"We are seeing our competitors' hands in all our woes but its time they learnt that monopoly is long gone and the liquor sector has been liberalised," he said.

The move comes barely two days after the High Court barred the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) from stopping the firm's operations.

The High Court quashed a directive by KRA that had withdrawn the operating licence for the Naivasha-based beer factory.

Last week, the taxman had written to the company directing that is ceases manufacture of excisable goods and return all unused excise stamps.

The brewery has, however, protested the move terming it as a plan by it's competitors to lock the firm out of the lucrative liquor market.