Workers at Sierra Premium Breweries on Mombasa Road in Nairobi say a climate of fear has taken hold at the plant, with employees describing arbitrary dismissals, harassment and weak internal protections that have left them uncertain about the security of their jobs.
The complaints have centred on the way employment decisions are being made at the facility, with workers saying machine operators and casual employees can be dismissed abruptly, without proper procedures, clear reasons or meaningful intervention from the human resources department.
At the centre of their complaints are Plant Operations Manager Esther Ndiritu and Production and Maintenance Lead Oscar Asavonga, whom employees accuse of wielding extensive authority over hiring and termination decisions while leaving HR with little power to intervene.
Workers say the situation has created an environment in which employees are afraid to challenge management decisions for fear of losing their jobs, with those dismissed left to deal with the financial consequences after taking up positions they expected to retain.
Five machine operators were recently dismissed before completing a month at the plant, according to workers, even though they had been recruited to fill positions for which the brewery had identified a need.
The dismissals have since become a focal point of the complaints, with employees saying the episode demonstrated how quickly jobs can be terminated at the facility and how limited the avenues are for workers seeking an explanation or review of management decisions.
Sierra Premium Breweries was established in 2006 as Kenya’s pioneer boutique and craft brewery and operates using traditional German and Bavarian brewing methods, with its beers produced under the 1516 German Purity Law, which restricts brewing ingredients to water, malt, hops and yeast.
The brewery has attracted investment and backing from international brewers such as Royal Swinkels and Signal Hill Products, while its flagship Sierra Lager has established a presence across Nairobi through retail outlets, beverage platforms and online delivery services.
Workers say the reputation attached to the brand contrasts sharply with conditions inside the Mombasa Road facility, where casual employees in particular are treated as easily replaceable and HR has been unable to provide an effective internal check on employment decisions.
The five machine operators dismissed before completing their first month have become the latest example cited by workers, who say the affected employees were left without income after accepting the positions in expectation of continued employment.
Employees are now calling on founder Alan Murungi and senior management to intervene, investigate the conduct of Ndiritu and Asavonga, and establish clear procedures governing recruitment, discipline, dismissal and the handling of workplace grievances.
The workers have also called on the Ministry of Labour and other relevant authorities to visit the Mombasa Road facility and examine the conditions under which employees work and the manner in which employment decisions are handled.
They want the human resources department to have a meaningful role in decisions affecting workers, with clear channels through which employees can challenge disciplinary action, seek explanations for dismissal and lodge workplace grievances.
For the workers raising the complaint, the issue extends beyond the dismissal of five machine operators to the manner in which employment is being managed across the plant, with employees saying the authority exercised by Ndiritu and grAsavonga has created an environment in which workers fear losing their livelihoods while having limited avenues to challenge decisions.
The complaints come as Sierra Premium Breweries continues to expand the visibility of Sierra Lager in the Kenyan market, bringing renewed attention to conditions inside its Mombasa Road plant and to the employment systems governing the workforce behind the brand.
"Good evening Cyprian. You should pay a visit to Sierra Premium Breweries Ltd and see real employees tortured by the plant operations manager and production and maintenance lead. It's hell on earth. Firing of machine operators and casuals is the order of the day and HR has no say because these two individuals have the final say. Recently they fired 5 machine operators who had not even finished a month in the plant. The plant operations manager is Esther Ndiritu and the production and maintenance lead is Oscar Asavonga. Kindly help us expose this so that the relevant authorities can intervene before more workers lose their livelihoods for no justifiable reason."
