KBL Lauded for its effort to revive its Kisumu plant that is soon launched.

 Cabinet Secretary in charge of Industry, Trade and Cooperative Peter Munya address the media in Kisumu today after touring KBL Plant in Kisumu where he said the state has lauded the move to revive the plant-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo.

By Dickson Odhiambo

 January 29, 2019.

KBL Lauded for its effort to revive its Kisumu plant that is soon launched.

The Kenya Breweries Limited has been lauded for its quick efforts in the revival of its Brewery plant in Kisumu City.

Cabinet Secretary in charge of Industry, Trade and Cooperative Development Peter Munya says the Government fully supports the move by the Kenya Breweries Limited to revive their plant in Kisumu for the production of Senator Keg.

Addressing the press today after touring the facility to see the progress made so towards its revival, Munya said the ministry is fully committed to ensure there is favorable environment for businesses and encouraged other investors to follow suit and expand to different counties across the country.

Munya says the government is gearing up in launching the plant this year without fail.

Munya says the project already has a positive impact across the value chain, among them the recruitment of 17,000 small scale sorghum farmers and 3,000 senator keg retailers in the larger Western Kenya region.

“This brewery is one of the largest projects in this region and will be a catalyst for economic development for Kisumu and its neighboring counties,” CS Munya says.

The Cabinet Secretary says the project will bring multiplier effect such as creating employment opportunities, raising rural incomes, increasing food security, boosting exports and ultimately growing our economy.

“The progress we have witnessed here today is very encouraging and we look forward to the ripple effect it will have on other sectors,” Munya adds.

The Kenya Breweries Limited Managing Director Jane Karuku has expressed her gratitude for the Government’s support towards the Company.

She says the Company remains fully committed in developing the economy of Western Kenya region and the country at large.

“The success of this project is a fitting showcase of how governments and businesses can work together successfully to deliver impactful projects,” Karuku says.

She hints that already the company I working with thousands of sorghum farmers from Western Kenya and Lake Region that include Migori, Homa Bay, Kisumu Siaya and Busia Counties.

“In addition to the employment opportunities, the availability of our value beer Senator Keg to consumers will be key in the ongoing fight against illicit alcohol in the region,” Karuku adds.

She further says it is very unfortunate that 50 percent of the young people are taking illicit brew, adding that with the uptake of the senator keg there is high hope to reduce this from 50 percent to 20 percent in the next five years.

Karuku adds that the revived Plant will be able to produce Senator Keg made using locally sourced sorghum and will have the capacity to produce one million hectoliters of the senator keg in the next five years.

To meet the high demand for the senator keg, KBL aims at doubling the market for the sorghum as a cash crop from 20,000 metric tones to around 40,000 tones in the next five years.

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