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- Africa Spirits Limited Placed Under Administration
Africa Spirits Limited, an alcoholic beverages company has officially been placed under administration following a notice published June 20 under the Insolvency Act, 2015.
The notice confirms the appointment of Peter Kahi of PKF Consulting (K) Limited as the administrator of Africa Spirits Limited.
The appointment, made on June 17, grants Kahi full control over the assets and operations of the company, with the goal of rescuing the firm or securing a more favorable result for its creditors than liquidation.
All authorities of the directors, shareholders, and employees of the company in the management of the firm’s finances or transactions have ceased unless the administrator has approved them, the legal notice says.
Creditors are instructed to submit any claim they may have against the company on or before July 18, 2025.
“None of the directors, shareholders, employees and no other individual is authorized to transact any business on behalf of the Company without express written approval of the Administrator,” read part of the notice.
The action is against the backdrop of long-running legal and financial woes facing Africa Spirits, one of Kenya’s biggest local distillers, and its flamboyant owner,Humphrey Kariuki.
Africa Spirits has been in the limelight since January 2019, when the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) made a dramatic raid on the company’s Thika-based plant.
The authority alleged that the company had been involved in massive tax evasion by using counterfeit excise stamps and not declaring the total quantity of alcohol produced and sold.
The raid led to the seizure of machines and products worth billions of shillings, and the KRA claimed that Africa Spirits had denied the government over Sh41 billion in taxes.
Kariuki, along with several high-ranking company officials, was charged with tax evasion, being in possession of counterfeit excise stamps, and being in possession of uncustomed goods.
Even though he pleaded not guilty and was released on bail, the court battle dragged on for years, during which the DCI and the KRA did not change their prosecution position.
The business activities of the company, meanwhile, remained largely grounded, inflicting severe financial agony.
The collapse of Africa Spirits threatens to bring down a larger business empire associated with Kariuki, who is also famous for owning Dalbit Petroleum, Great Lakes Africa Energy, and luxury hospitality assets such as The Hub Karen and Mt. Kenya Wildlife Conservancy.
Despite his high profile and philanthropy, Kariuki’s business empire has long been dogged by scrutiny from tax authorities and anti-corruption agencies.
His battles with the KRA have been a lightning rod in Kenya’s broader fight against tax evasion and economic crime.
With Africa Spirits now under administration, Kahi’s mandate will be to assess the financial position of the company, negotiate with creditors, and potentially restructure the business to avoid liquidation.
It Is not clear given the magnitude of the legal and tax liabilities involved, if the firm will survive or will ultimately be broken up or sold off to satisfy creditor demands.
Stakeholders and members of the public have been asked to direct all correspondence to the administrator, with any inquiries or claims to be submitted before the mid-July deadline.
As of now, the future of Africa Spirits Limited-and whether it can rise from the ashes of legal battles and financial destruction-is yet to be determined.
What is clear, however, is that the company is fighting for survival under the weight of unresolved battles with the state.
