East African Breweries Plc (EABL), and its flagship brand Tusker, have launched a year long campaign to celebrate 100 years of existence across East Africa.
Established in Ruaraka in 1922, EABL has transformed into the biggest manufacturing operating in the region, impacting millions in its value chain where the company sources raw material, makes and sells its products.
EABL contributes about 1% of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the outcome of over 45,000 farmers, as well as direct and indirect employment in the agriculture, distributor networks and retail outlets all employing millions in Kenya and the region.
Tusker, its world-renowned beer brand, was the EABL’s first and biggest product and one of the favourite brands in Africa. It was first brewed a century ago, by George and Charles Hurst, the brothers who pioneered EABL a centenary ago, before expanding to East Africa through a series of acquisitions in Uganda and Tanzania. The now-iconic beer brand’s name refers to the company co-founder, George, who was killed by an elephant during a hunting expedition in Tanzania.
Speaking during the announcement of the centennial campaign, EABL Group Managing Director and CEO Jane Karuku said: “As we celebrate our 100 years, we are proud of our legacy and impact across East Africa. Our vast value chain is unparalleled and its socio-economic effect over the century continue to benefit millions across the region. These celebrations will not only take stock of our heritage, deeply etched in the tapestry of our history but will also look into what the next 100 years hold for us.”
Kenya, EABL’s home country, is leading the celebrations with Kenya Breweries Limited activating moments and occasions with Tusker.
KBL Managing Director, John Musunga said; “KBL year-long celebration will involve our consumers and communities, with Tusker driving brand campaigns to connect with our fans across the country. For instance, to celebrate our culture through music and sports, we are launching Tusker Nexters, a platform for the next-generation in music and sports stars. You will see a lot more in the coming days.”
Looking into the future, Mrs Karuku said EABL is conscious and deliberate about its sustainability for the business to last beyond the next 100 years with a set of ambitious goals to achieve by the year 2030. “We are purposefully driving a shared prosperity agenda to guarantee value for our employees, business partners (such as distributors and retailers) and consumers. That is why we announced a Kshs 22 billion sustainability investment plan on biomass-based energy production and water recovery,” said Mrs. Karuku.
In Kenya, Musunga said the business is, among other things, educating our consumers of harms associated with alcohol, Wrong Side of the Road. The campaign is an opportunity for drivers to learn about the consequences of drink-driving, allowing them to connect with real-life case studies, to pass the message that every accident caused by this act is preventable.
East African Breweries Limited (EABL) is a regional leader in beverage alcohol with a collection of brands across beer and spirits. Their business is concentrated in three core markets of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania but their products are sold in more than 10 countries across Africa and beyond. They include Tusker, Guinness, WhiteCap Lager, Bell Lager, Serengeti Lager, Kenya Cane, Chrome Vodka, Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan and Smirnoff.