Ruto Condemns Closure of Keroche Breweries, Says It is Politically Motivated

Deputy President William Ruto has hit out at the government for shutting down Keroche Breweries Limited over tax arrears.

The brewer was closed by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) after defaulting on an earlier agreement to repay tax arrears amounting to Sh320 million, according to Keroche CEO Tabitha Karanja.

Addressing the press on Tuesday, Karanja warned that more than 400 workers could be rendered jobless while beer worth over Sh350 million could go to waste if the company remains closed.

She claimed that the company signed the tax repayment agreement under duress and efforts to seek more time to pay the arrears had hit the wall. 

Speaking during a campaign rally in Kisii on Wednesday, Ruto alleged that the closure of Keroche was politically motivated, attributing it to Karanja’s decision to vie for the Nakuru senate seat on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.

He noted that more than 400 workers have been rendered jobless and over 3,000 families that depend on the company affected by its closure.

"To say that Keroche has been closed because of the political persuasion of Mama Keroche is the worst insult and worst form of impunity in the Republic of Kenya. The only mistake the Keroche woman has committed is to decline to join Azimio. Your days are numbered. You cannot close Keroche because of political issues. That is pure politics,” said Ruto.

"I want to tell Kenyans that these people want to destroy the businesses of the people of Kenya. They cannot tell us about investment and business opportunities if they are destroying the business opportunities that exist today in Kenya," he added.

Ruto urged Kenyans to reject Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga and vote for Kenya Kwanza Alliance en masse on August 9th to remove impunity from Kenya.