Tabitha Karanja facts for kids

Tabitha Mukami Muigai Karanja is a successful Kenyan businesswoman and politician. She is known for starting Keroche Breweries, a major company in Kenya. She is also the current chief executive officer (CEO) of Keroche Breweries.

Keroche Breweries was the first large company of its kind in Kenya not owned by a huge international corporation. As of 2012, it made about 20% of the beer consumed in Kenya. In 2022, Tabitha Karanja was elected as a Senator for Nakuru County, Kenya.

Early Life and Education

Tabitha Karanja was born in 1964 near Kijabe, a town in central Kenya. She went to school in Kenya. After finishing her education, she started working for the government.

She worked as an Accounting Clerk in the Ministry of Tourism. This job involved keeping financial records. Later, she met and married Joseph Muigai Karanja. Her husband owned a successful hardware store in Naivasha town.

Building a Business

In 1997, Tabitha and her husband decided to try something new. They closed their hardware store and started a business making wine. They focused on making affordable wine for many people.

In 2007, the government changed tax rules for local wines. This made their wine too expensive for many customers. So, Tabitha changed her business plan. She started making ready-to-drink gin and vodka. Her factory still makes these drinks today using modern equipment.

In 2008, she added beer to her company's products. The first beer brand was called Summit. By 2013, the company planned to make much more beer. They wanted to increase production from 60,000 bottles a day to 600,000 bottles a day.

The company spent about KSh5 billion (which was about US$55.5 million at the time) to upgrade the factory. The new and improved factory was officially opened on March 31, 2015. Adan Mohammed, a government minister, helped open the new plant.

Becoming a Senator

Tabitha Karanja also became involved in politics. In the 2022 Kenyan general election, she ran for a political position. She wanted to become the Senator for Nakuru County.

She ran with the UDA Party. She won the election with a large number of votes. She received 442,864 votes. Her main opponent from the Jubilee Party, Lawrence Karanja, received 163,625 votes.

Family Life

Tabitha Karanja is married to Joseph Muigai Karanja. They have four children together. Their children are James Karanja Muigai, Anerlisa Muigai, Edward Muigai, and Tecra Muigai. Joseph Karanja Muigai also plays an important role in the family business. He serves as the Chairman of Keroche Breweries Limited.

See also

• List of Kenyans by net worth
• Economy of Kenya