Keroche Breweries is facing the auction of its assets over a Sh22 million debt owed to 16 former employees who were unlawfully dismissed.
The Employment and Labour Relations Court authorized Betabase Auctioneers to attach the Naivasha-based brewer's property after the company failed to settle court-ordered compensation awards. Police officers from Naivasha Police Station escorted the auctioneers to the company's premises to enforce the court directives.
The debt stems from separate court decrees awarding compensation to former employees who were found to have been unfairly terminated. Among the claims is approximately Sh1 million, including interest, awarded to Mary Njeri Macharia, while former employee Henry Ogundo is seeking Sh2.79 million.
The auction orders allow the attachment and sale of company property, machinery and vehicles to recover the outstanding payments.
The latest development comes amid another legal battle involving former Keroche Managing Director Sam Shollei. The Court of Appeal recently rejected the brewer's attempt to block payment of his unfair dismissal award, which has reportedly risen from Sh45.5 million to more than Sh75 million with accumulated interest.
Keroche is also facing a long-running multi-billion-shilling tax dispute with the Kenya Revenue Authority, which has previously disrupted operations at the brewery.
Source Attributed: Nation Newspaper