Tabitha Karanja: Brewing with confidence

By Antony Gitonga

For close to 90 years, no Kenyan dared enter the beer market. Termed as one of the most lucrative industries in the country, the sector was treated with awe even by the rich and mighty of the land, leaving it to the multinationals to reign free.

It took one woman, Tabitha Mukami Muigai-Karanja, to jump into the dreaded ‘unfair playing ground’, for the ground to move and she, to take her rightful place in the industry. At 45 years, Tabitha as she is commonly known is the CEO, Keroche Breweries, the first ever beer factory to be owned by a Kenyan.

Tabitha in her Naivasha office. The first Kenyan to own a beer factory, Tabitha knows too well what it means to break ground and steer ahead in the face of stiff opposition.

According to Tabitha, the journey has been rough and turbulent since 1997 when she ventured into the wine industry. For over 12 years, Tabitha fought a lone battle with giant multinationals in the fortified wines industry.

She had by and large penetrated the local market until 2007 when unexplained tax raise forced her out of the wine business.

"Then Minister for Finance introduced punitive taxes for fortified wines and we had to move to brandy, gin and Vodkas," she explains.

Not one to be intimidated by the new directives, she decided to tackle the bull by the horn, by announcing that Keroche Breweries was going into beer manufacturing.

And so on October 24, last year, Keroche Breweries launched Summit Lager in a ceremony graced by Prime Minister, Raila Odinga.

"After so much pain and sleepless nights, my dream had been achieved and this was the best day in my life," she says as she breaks into a smile.

A light moment as Tabitha shares Summit beer with guests who toured Keroche Breweries recently. Photos: Anthony Gitonga/Standard

Tabitha is full of praise for the coalition government for supporting the local initiative unlike in the past when there was too much harassment from government officials. She, however, says the main battle is not over as these forces are not happy. Posters from her firms are always pulled off. But her mind and heart are focused beyond petty peeves as she talks about the future:

"Despite all the challenges, my dream is to have a soft drink company and maybe I will have achieved my life’s dreams."

Tabitha is full of praise for her husband Joseph Karanja, who is also the chairman, Keroche Industries. He not only plays a crucial role in the business management but is also her best friend.

"Whenever I am down, he is there to pick me and I have a shoulder to lean on as he is always there to guide me. I owe him a lot."

A mother of two boys and two girls, Tabitha always has time for the family despite the busy schedule. She says that in most cases, dinners are shared and birthdays are marked in a special way.

"Family is the best thing in my programme," she says.

"At the moment, three of my children are abroad taking their degrees and whenever they are around, we have quality time together".

Her advice to fellow women is for them to be strong and not to shy away from their dreams as nothing is impossible.

"I knew what I wanted in life and I worked day and night to achieve it, and here I am."

She calls on women to believe in themselves as men offer little help to aspiring women whom they perceive as threats.