Company: East African Breweries
Country: Kenya
Sector: Food Distributors
CEO: Jane Karuku
Website: Not publicly listed
Careers Page: Not publicly listed
LinkedIn: Not publicly listed
Email: Not publicly listed
Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
Founded: 1922
Valuation/Revenue: $783.3m market value (African Business Top 250, 2025); Diageo reportedly agreed to sell its roughly 65% stake to Japan’s Asahi Group for approximately $2.3bn in a deal announced December 2025, pending completion
East African Breweries Limited (EABL) is Kenya’s dominant beer and spirits producer, a holding company manufacturing and distributing branded beer, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan through iconic brands including Tusker lager and Uganda Waragi.
What Does East African Breweries Do?
EABL manufactures, markets and distributes alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages across East Africa. Its portfolio spans mainstream and premium beers (led by the Tusker brand, one of the most recognized beer labels in East Africa), spirits (including Uganda Waragi), and a growing non-alcoholic drinks segment. The group operates through subsidiaries in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan, giving it a regional manufacturing and distribution footprint that few competitors can match in East Africa.
How Old Is East African Breweries?
EABL was established in 1922 as Kenya Breweries Limited by George and Charles Hurst, two Welsh entrepreneurs, making it more than a century old and one of East Africa’s oldest continuously operating industrial businesses. Over the following decades it expanded regionally and consolidated various national beverage businesses into what is today the East African Breweries group.
Who Owns East African Breweries?
Global drinks giant Diageo plc has historically controlled approximately 65% of EABL’s shares, with the remaining roughly 35% held by public investors across the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Uganda Securities Exchange and Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, where EABL shares are cross-listed. In a major development reported in December 2025, Diageo was said to have agreed to sell its EABL stake to Japanese brewing group Asahi for approximately $2.3 billion — a deal that, if and when completed, would mark a significant ownership change for one of East Africa’s most recognizable consumer companies. As of this writing EABL continues to operate under its existing structure pending completion of any such transaction.
Who Is the CEO of East African Breweries?
Jane Karuku serves as Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, with Martin Oduor-Otieno chairing the board.
Is East African Breweries Publicly Traded?
Yes. EABL is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and cross-listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange and Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, making it one of the most widely held and closely tracked consumer stocks in East African capital markets.
How Big Is East African Breweries?
EABL carried a market value of approximately $783.3 million as of African Business magazine’s 2025 Top 250 African companies ranking. Historical disclosures show 2014 revenue of roughly $699.8 million and net income of about $118.7 million, illustrating the scale the business had already reached a decade earlier; the pending Diageo-to-Asahi stake sale valuing the transaction at approximately $2.3 billion underscores the strategic value international investors place on EABL’s regional beverage franchise.
How Does East African Breweries Compare to Its Competitors?
EABL’s most direct rival is Keroche Breweries in Kenya, a smaller domestic challenger, while regionally it competes with brewers such as Tanzania Breweries (part of the AB InBev network) and Nile Breweries in Uganda (also part of AB InBev). EABL’s century-long brand heritage, particularly Tusker’s cultural status in Kenya, and its multinational Diageo backing have historically given it a scale and distribution advantage across East Africa that most local competitors cannot match.
Links
Website: Not publicly listed
Careers Page: Not found
LinkedIn: Not found
Email: Not publicly listed
FAQ
Is East African Breweries legit?
Yes, EABL is a century-old, publicly listed brewer cross-listed on three East African stock exchanges and majority-owned by global drinks group Diageo.
Who is the CEO of East African Breweries?
Jane Karuku is Group Managing Director and CEO.
Who owns East African Breweries?
Diageo plc holds roughly 65%, with the remainder publicly traded; Diageo reportedly agreed in December 2025 to sell its stake to Asahi Group for about $2.3 billion.
When was East African Breweries founded?
1922, originally as Kenya Breweries Limited.
Is East African Breweries publicly traded?
Yes, on the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Uganda Securities Exchange and Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange.
How much is East African Breweries worth?
Approximately $783.3 million in market value per African Business’s 2025 Top 250 ranking; its majority stake was reportedly valued at about $2.3 billion in the pending Asahi transaction.