This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
On September 26, 2019, Africa Spirits Limited (ASL), a leading alcohol manufacturer, filed a petition in a Nairobi court to re-open its Thika-based factory, which has been closed for six months.
The company, facing a Sh41 billion tax evasion case alongside billionaire Humphrey Kariuki, claims that the closure has caused the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to lose over Sh1.2 billion in tax revenue.
According to ASL's lawyer, Cecil Miller, the company and Wow Beverages Limited were remitting Sh150 million monthly to KRA in tax before the factory was closed.
Mr. Miller urged the court to direct KRA and the police to re-open the factory, citing the significant losses being incurred and the impact on the economy.
He also raised concerns about the fate of hundreds of employees who have been affected by the closure, as well as the issue of a death that allegedly occurred on the premises.
Mr. Kariuki and other co-accused have denied failing to remit the alleged taxes between 2016 and 2018.
