Anerlisa Muigai opens up on why her family chose not to sell Keroche. (Courtesy/Instagram/@anerlisa)
Anerlisa Muigai, heiress to Keroche Breweries, has opened up about her family's difficult decision to keep the business instead of selling it.
In a social media post, Anerlisa revealed that seven months ago, her family had reached a critical point.
With mounting financial struggles, they had two choices-sell Keroche to multinational corporations or take on the challenge of reviving it themselves. Despite the pressure, they chose to fight for the company's survival.
"7 months ago, we had a choice of selling the company or giving it up to multinational companies... but something told me we could manage," Anerlisa wrote.
She explained that after deep thought, she decided to call a family meeting where everyone was assigned roles to help in the revival of the business.
One of their biggest concerns was where to begin. However, Anerlisa expressed her belief that divine intervention played a role in their comeback. "I won't get into details, but all I can say is that God made a way," she added.
For three years, Keroche Breweries had been shut down following a tax dispute with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). In 2022, KRA accused the company of defaulting on an earlier agreed plan to repay tax arrears amounting to Sh300 million.
The tax authority then issued agency notices to multiple banks, effectively blocking Keroche from accessing financial support, which paralysed its operations.
However, the company disputed the claims, arguing that it had signed the repayment agreement under duress. CEO Tabitha Karanja accused KRA of unfair treatment, stating that the economic hardships following the Covid-19 pandemic had severely impacted their ability to meet their obligations.
She linked the aggressive enforcement to her decision to join politics, arguing that her interest in vying for the Nakuru senatorial seat under UDA had made her a target.
At the time, Karanja warned that the closure would lead to the loss of over 400 jobs and could result in beer worth Sh350 million going to waste. She pleaded with KRA for more time to settle the arrears, saying their business needed a chance to recover.
Despite these challenges, the Muigai family remained determined. Anerlisa shared her excitement about the reopening of the factory, posting videos of production resuming.
Together with her spouse, Joe Kariuki, she toured the plant, speaking with employees as the brewery came back to life.
She shared a powerful message, using a metaphor to describe Keroche's resilience: "A sleeping elephant is still taller than a walking gazelle."
Anerlisa also posted a cheeky video of KRA tax stickers, suggesting that the company had now resolved its tax issues.
