Sometime back, Keroche borrowed Ksh 5 billion from
Barclays Bank of Kenya to modernize its factory. With such a loan, it’s always a good practice for the bank to require some political assurance as security for its investment.
Tabitha Karanja wrote to Pres. Kibaki to honour an invite and open modernized factory on completion. Kibaki agreed to be the guest of honour.
Powerful people in State House saw this schedule on the then President Kibaki’s itinerary. They didn’t like it. Tabitha was a threat to their wealth.
That opening of Keroche’s new factory by Kibaki was silently removed from the President’s itinerary. Tabitha was not aware.
The late Jeremiah Kiereini together with Ministers Amos Kimunya and the late John Michuki teamed up to stop Tabitha. Mrs. Kimunya was a major distributor of EABL products while Kiereini was a key shareholder of the same.
Michuki hated new money influences in Kiukuyuland.
Tabitha Karanja realized she was alone when she tried to confirm with the State House comptroller Hyslop Ipu. Mr. Ipu just indicated to Tabitha, “I am not aware of what happened and can’t confirm the president’s availability.”
Tabitha was then in front of State House asking for a personal audience with President Kibaki to plead her case. She was driving herself.
Tabitha Karanja literally cried in her car as she made calls to all the powerful people close to Kibaki, none who could rescue her. Confused and teary, she was determined to fight on. So she thought of what to do. In the meantime, the hawk-eyed GSU guarding State House chased her from the gates.
She had just driven from Naivasha to State House and was blocked from seeing President Kibaki who was in?
The then President Kibaki’s PA Joe Wanjui confirmed receiving her invite but someone powerful had blocked her from getting the factory opened by President Kibaki.
Realizing that Kibaki’s people had played her, she got in touch with one of her employees who knew Jakoyo Midiwo and asked for an audience with Raila.
Tabitha didn’t have access to Raila then.
Jakoyo linked her to Raila. Raila was then not well aware of what Keroche was.
Tabitha met Jakoyo at Serena Hotel and Jakoyo drove her to Karen’s residence of Raila.
On the day of the unveiling of the new factory, Raila was also to grace an event in Kisumu.
But he agreed to pass by.
He asked if they had a helipad as he could pass by on his way to Kisumu. He told them that he could spend a maximum of 15 minutes. It was 48 hours to the d-day
Sensing “mwanya”, Tabitha asked Raila what he needed for the helipad as she can prepare that.
Tabitha Karanja prepared a helipad for Raila’s chopper within 36 hours.
Raila graced the occasion and instead of spending only 15 minutes, spent 3 hours. Raila loved the investment
That’s where the friendship of Raila Odinga and Tabitha Karanja emanated from. That’s how Tabitha knew and became friends to Raila.
Today, Keroche has a factory capable of producing 24,000 crates of beer or 600,000 beers in a single day.
The competitor is not happy with this. EABL is doing all it can and now using the DCI and ODPP to sabotage it.
To get into the club of billionaires in Kikiyuland, you have to be oathed. Tabitha Karanja is growing balls without being oathed into this club.
She has to be contained. Unfortunate. So unfortunate!!!
1 comment
Keroche fight on