A Sh15 billion plan to refurbish a Kenya Brewery Ltd Kisumu plant has begun [Photo/BusinessDailyAfrica]
President Uhuru Kenyatta kicked things off for a new facility, which is set to launch in 18 months.
The plant will hire 1,500 individuals directly, while 25,000 sorghum and cassava agriculturists in the Western region will also profit.
Senator keg KBL's low-end brew, will represent 25% of the total production, increasing total production to almost one million hectolitres (100 million liters) every year.
Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) Managing Director Jane Karuku stated that the brewer will renovate an old plant instead of setting up another one.
"When KBL left Kisumu the equipment was also stripped off, these are the things we are bringing back, but on a larger scale. This will require some little expansion of the existing facility and replacement of weak areas," she said according to The Standard.
The production line which came to a standstill in 2002 is expected to revive the local economy with the introduction of new jobs and more economic stability.
The company anticipates an increase in the demand for sorghum, which will bolster small scale farmers in the locale. The extra income for agriculturists is estimated to rise from the current Sh2.2 billion every year to Sh6 billion yearly in the next 10 years.
An increase in the production could see a reduction in the consumption illicit brews from 50% to 20% in 10 years.