Immediately after DPP Noordin Haji ordered for the arrest of Keroche Breweries bosses over tax evasion, political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi sensationally claimed that Tabitha Karanja and her husband were being targeted because they are hustlers who have made in life.
‘Tabitha Karanja are hustlers who made it. They must face the dirty law, not justice.’ Ngunyi said through his Twitter handle.
https://twitter.com/MutahiNgunyi/status/1164250453082812416
In a rare occurrence, Ngunyi’s sentiments resonated with the majority of Kenyans, who believe that the govt could be going after businesses owned by local companies.
In her defence, Tabitha said that she has complied with all tax requirements and she was being targeted by her competitors.
“As a local company, we have gone through numerous challenges as a result of which mostly has been castigated by our competitors and it’s my plea as a homegrown investor to be supported for our tireless efforts in building a Kenyan story of self-determination, resilience and a belief in ourselves,” she says in a statement sent to newsrooms.
Blogger Robert Alai accused the DCI and DPP of using the goodwill they enjoy from the public to harras Kenyans.
The offices of @DCI_Kenya and @ODPP_KE are going to abuse their powers with the goodwill they are enjoying from the public. Tabitha Karanja is a woman who has fought and brought employment to Kenyans.
I see the hand of EABL (Diageo) on this. pic.twitter.com/zxFQC21nAy
— Robert Alai (@RobertAlai) August 21, 2019
According to unverified claims, at least five Flying Squad vehicles camped outside Keroche’s offices in Naivasha just to arrest the Keroche bosses. Why all the drama?
5 flying squad cars just to arrest a harmless woman? DCI and ODPP should have laid out 5,000 pages of evidence instead.
The incompetence at ODPP and DCI is being shielded with the theatrics through the media.
Due process MUST be followed. Na is tafadhali.
— Robert Alai (@RobertAlai) August 22, 2019
In recent time, the government has gone after Sportpesa, billionaire Humphrey Kariuki and now Keroche in multi-billion tax evasion cases. Ironically, Sportpesa was awarded the leading taxpayer for three consecutive years between 2016 and 2017. So what changed? And where was KRA when these companies were accumulating such colossal amounts of money?
Sportpesa was recently forced to cancel all sponsorship deals in Kenya after the govt ground its operations. Hundreds of Kenyans are also at risk of losing their jobs if the company does not resume business soon.
“Sportpesa as a business has been subjected to punitive measures by regulators such as delayed license renewal and the suspension of PayBill numbers with these actions considerably reducing the level of business operations,” read Sportpesa’s statement to media.
Keroche was trending at number one on social media for the better part of Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Kenyans aired their views.
Keroche Industries Ltd is just suffering from bad trade sportsmanship from froreign competitors
EABL
Tabitha Karanja#JKLive
Matiangi
Uhuru
Matiang'i
Uhuru pic.twitter.com/Q6AcpOGl8P— Patel Mtetezi (@PatelMtetezi) August 22, 2019
For Keroche, they would buy their bottles and crush them. Remember Central Glass was a subsidiary of EABL so Keroche had to import beer bottles.
— elly akoko (@AkokoElly) August 22, 2019
Is Tabitha Karanja of Keroche a tax fraudster or a victim of cut-throat beer competition with EABL? Over to you DPP Noordin Haji. pic.twitter.com/nKtGilhtrZ
— Eng. Peter Kiptoo (@Hon_Kiptoo) August 22, 2019
Just the way COCA-COLA finished SOFTA and Peter Kuguru had to close his multi billion business empire, I see the hands of EABL trying to give it another shot at KEROCHE under the guise of Kshs 14.2B tax evasion… I HAVE BEEN IN THE CORPORATE WORLD & I KNOW HOW THIS SHIT WORKS!!
— MUHAMMAD ONYANGO® (@Moha001_Onyango) August 22, 2019
It’s also important to know who owns eabl. Starting with Kenya bottlers and why eabl introduced the new bottles. That woman is a fighter.
— Erico iz me 🇰🇪 (@Erico_Chel) August 22, 2019
@debarlinea Are we trying to kill our local establishments in the name of tax evasion or it’s simply a plot by a certain “guy” somewhere who thinks Alcohol is haram
1 @africaspirits
2 #Keroche
What next #eabl!Or that can’t be touched because of the big boys upstairs?#AmLiveNTV— Paul Pekke (@paulpekke) August 22, 2019
So #EABL starts expansion, the #KerocheBreweries is intimidated via tax issues after they launch #KBLager ?
We can read past the Noise, #BoycottEABLProducts we'll not kill local enterprises in favour of foreign white companies.
— National Leader Ke (@NationaLeaderKe) August 22, 2019