Anerlisa Muigai is contemplating firing all of her employees at her water company Nero as the business faces uncertain future.
Anerlisa founded her own company Nero sometimes in June 2013 to produce premium drinking mineral water.
Nero Company Ltd is a premier luxury beverage company operating within Nairobi and the country at large, Anerlisa’s company is however based in Naivasha at the same complex as her mother’s company Keroche Breweries Limited.
Anerlisa is worried Nero might face the same fate as Keroche Breweries which has been shut down by KRA over tax dispute.
In a press conference issued on Friday, March 4th, Keroche Breweries CEO Tabitha Karanja said that the firm is on the verge of sending home over 250 workers and pouring alcohol worth over Ksh512 million that is currently stored in tanks.
Anerlisa’s mother revealed that in December 2021 KRA shut down operations at the company after defaulting on Ksh332 million tax arrears.
Keroche has been in a Ksh9 billion tax dispute with KRA and negotiated a payment plan that has now been in default.
Anerlisa’s mother said that an alert sent to 36 banks by KRA made it harder for the company to access funds to service its dues.
“The recent closure by KRA has drained all our resources and unfortunately if nothing is done in the next seven days, we will be forced to drain down all the beer and lay down over 250 direct employees and thousands within our nationwide distribution network,” Mrs Karanja said.
Anerlisa came out to express her worry for her company Nero after her mother spoke on the fate of Keroche.
In a statement posted on social media, Anerlisa feared that Nero might go down with Keroche if interventions are not made quickly to solve the impasse with the taxman.
“It’s so sad that Keroche has been shut down and nobody seems to want to listen, help or negotiate. We (Nero Company) happen to share the same compound with them and I must say, it has been very sad seeing Keroche closed for 2 months and even worse, about 650 people are stranded wondering when Keroche will start being operational and are also at risk of losing their jobs.
“How do we and other upcoming businesses get the strength to continue running our businesses? How do you get your taxes paid by closing Keroche and on top of that you tell all the banks not to give them a loan? How inhuman can one get?” Anerlisa’s statement read.
Related: Anerlisa Muigai’s Elder Brother Drunk Like A Skunk At A House Party
