East African Breweries PLC (EABL) stands as East Africa’s leading branded alcohol beverage business, boasting an outstanding collection of brands that range from beer, spirits, and adult non-alcoholic drinks (ANADs). This solidifies its standing as a total adult beverage (TAB) company.
EABL’s purpose is “celebrating life, every day, everywhere,” a commitment born from its belief that alcohol can play a positive role in society as part of a balanced lifestyle.
EABL began with the creation of Kenya Breweries Limited in 1922 - the year we brewed our first ever beer. The company was founded by two Welshmen, George and Charles Hurst, as Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL).
Tusker Lager is the main brand of Kenya Breweries.
Early Years and Expansion
In 1954, EABL got listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. This was among the first listings in the region's oldest stock exchange.
Read also: A History of Islam
In 1964, the group's subsidiary name in present-day Tanzania was changed from Tanganyika Breweries Limited to Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL) following the political unification of Tanganyika and the People's Republic of Zanzibar and Pemba to form the United Republic of Tanzania. This led to increased market for the group through the creation of the union.
Key historical milestones include:
- 1922: Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) is established.
- 1954: EABL gets listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
- 1964: Tanganyika Breweries Limited changes its name to Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL).
- EABL completes the largest public issue in Kenya’s history.
- EABL becomes the first company in East Africa to reach United States Dollars (“USD”) 1 billion in market capitalisation.
Today, our business is concentrated on three core markets of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and our products are sold in more than 10 countries in Africa and beyond. Innovation plays a crucial role in our growth strategy by ensuring that our brands are accessible and relevant to our customers in East Africa.
Subsidiaries and Key Brands
EABL engages in the brewery, production, importation, marketing, distribution, and sale of beer, spirits, adult non-alcoholic drinks, and malt and barley products in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The group's headquarters are located in Nairobi, Kenya, with subsidiaries in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan. EABL is listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, Uganda Securities Exchange and Dar es Salaam Stock Exchanges.
EABL offers a wide range of brands, including:
Read also: Flavors and Traditions of East Africa
- Beers: Tusker, Guinness, Pilsner, WhiteCap, and Serengeti.
- Spirits: Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Gilbey’s, and Uganda Waragi.
- Nonalcoholic drinks: Alvaro.
The company also exports its products to South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Great Lakes Region.
Key Subsidiaries:
- Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL): Established in Kenya in 1922.
- United Distillers Vintners (Kenya) Limited (UDV): Established in 1962, majority-owned by Diageo PLC.
- EABL International Limited (EABLi): Set up in 2009 to focus on building the Spirits business in Eastern Africa.
- Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL): The second largest beer company in Tanzania.
- Central Glass Industries Limited (CGI): Established in 1987 as a wholly-owned subsidiary to produce glass containers.
Tusker is the main brand of Kenya Breweries with over 30% of the Kenyan beer market selling more than 700,000 hectolitres per year. Tusker is also the largest African beer brand in the Diageo group. It is a 4.2% ABV pale lager.
The company also makes Uganda Waragi, a 40% ABV brand of waragi, a traditional Ugandan liquor, and the leading branded distilled beverage in Uganda. It is triple distilled and made from millet. It is known in Uganda as "the Spirit of Uganda".
Uganda Waragi is the leading branded distilled beverage in Uganda.
Read also: The Cosmopolitan City of Port Said
Corporate Social Responsibility
CITIZEN PLANET | EABL shifts from single bottle use to returnable model to conserve environment
The EABL Foundation is the corporate social responsibility arm of East African Breweries, founded in 2005. It assists people in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania through five areas of activity: water supply, education and training, health, environment, and special projects.
Its ongoing projects include the construction of an optical center in Moshi, Tanzania, the support of the Sickle Cell Association of Uganda and the donation of an Ultra Sound Machine to Kirwara Hospital in Thika, Kenya. The foundation has supplied over KSh.70 million/= (approx.
The EABL Foundation conducts special projects in times of disaster and when emergency relief is needed. Most recently, the foundation took part in the Save A Life Fund, in which it donated over KSh.14 million/= (approx.
EABL Foundation supports education and training in East Africa.
On 21 August 2012, the company signed a deal worth KSh.170 million/= (US$2.02 million; £1.28 million stg; €1.62 million) with the Kenyan Premier League for its renaming to the Tusker Premier League.
Tusker FC is a football club owned by East African Breweries. It is based in Nairobi, Kenya. It is the third most successful club in Kenya with eight Kenyan league championships and three Kenyan cup wins. The club was known as "Kenya Breweries" until 1999, when the current name was adopted.
Sustainability Initiatives
EABL is deeply committed to sustainability, guided by its ‘Spirit of Progress’ ESG action plan, which defines its environmental, social, and governance framework.
Key Sustainability Focus Areas:
- Promoting Positive Drinking: Campaigns like SMASHED combat underage drinking, educating over 253,154 young people in FY2025.
- Championing Inclusion and Diversity: EABL is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment, aiming for 50% representation of women in leadership roles by 2030, currently standing at 42%.
- Pioneering Grain to Glass Sustainability: Focused on environmental stewardship, EABL has significantly improved water efficiency, using 2.8 litres of water per litre of product packaged (down from 2.9 litres in FY2024).
The company also aims to reduce direct operations greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2040, driven by the utilisation of biomass plants and solar energy.
EABL Values
Our Values are at the heart of our business. We are passionate about consumers and customers. Our curiosity, and consumer and customer insights drive growth. We value each other and build real relationships. We seek to leverage diverse people and perspectives. We trust and empower each other to win. We are proud of what we do and how we do it. We take accountability and act sensitively with the highest standards of integrity and social responsibility. We strive to be better. We are restless, always learning, always improving. We are innovative and courageous.
