Kenya: Keroche Breweries hires new top managers within expansion plan

Kenya’s Keroche Breweries Ltd has hired three top managers as it readies to take on rivals, with an eye on setting up East Africa-wide operations, All Africa reported on October 9.

It has brought in Paul Wanyaga as managing director, James Ngomeli as sales and marketing director and Kennedy Muhonji as commercial director.

It is expected to remain on a hiring spree over the next few months as it looks to expand production capacity ten-fold from the current 60,000 bottles daily to 600,000.

"It is no longer a small operation and therefore needs the right skills," Ngomeli said.

He said the brewer has invested Sh3.5 billion in the expansion drive.

Keroche is betting on industry experience by the three executives to move its operations to the next level. It currently controls a five per cent market share and is targeting to claw up to a fifth of the market within three years.

"We will enhance distribution channels to cover and supply the whole country. There is demand for Keroche brands and we aim to be a formidable force even outside of Kenya by sealing the gaps," Ngomeli said.

Wanyaga, a former media manager, has past experience with East Africa Breweries Ltd, while Ngomeli is a renowned brand development and change management expert. Muhonji was chief operating officer at the Kenya Association of Manufacturers.

Ngomeli worked with Kenya Power when the electricity vendor widened reach from 40,000 customers annually to about 400,000.

10 October, 2014