This archive report was first published on 10 January 2020.
January 10, 2020, marked the beginning of a contentious battle between East African Breweries Ltd (EABL) and Keroche Breweries over the ownership rights of beer bottles. The dispute has left bar owners in Narok County struggling to navigate the market.
According to Charles Loidima, a representative of Narok County's bar owners, the tussle has resulted in 'disorder and mischief' in the market. He stated that the engraving of universal bottles has caused unnecessary problems, leading to issues with the return and flow of the bottles.
Bar owners have encountered problems where their vehicles are stopped, searched, and the engraved bottles seized by police officers claiming they belong to one brewer or the other. The market creates a pool where all universal bottles are exchangeable for use, and that is what the two companies normally do.
Keroche has filed a countersuit accusing EABL of abusing its market power by sanctioning the arrest of those found selling the Naivasha-based brewer's products packaged in EABL's beer bottles.
