Markets
Keroche and EABL Battle for Bottles
Distributors who are allied to Keroche Breweries Limited have suffered a blow after the High Court allowed East Africa Breweries Limited to collect from the market all its branded brown bottles which it maintains to have its exclusive inscription.
In her ruling, Justice Grace Nzioka said that East Africa Breweries limited has the right to use, collect and package beer in bottles engraved with its logo.
At the heart of the contention is the Euro design brown bottle used in packaging Keroche’s Summit beer and East Africa Breweries limited white cap and Balozi brands which have a similar shape, raising fears of an interchange.
East Africa Breweries limited argues that it buys the bottles, which are reusable for 5 years, engraved with its logo from a leading glass maker in Kenya.
However, the Keroche breweries Limited linked distributors- salsa set Mugo, Jacob Wamiti, Phasty Wachira, Samuel Kamau, Catherine Wanjiru and Herman Mwaura- are accusing East Africa Breweries limited of engraving its logo on the brown bottles in a bid to prevent rivals from using them and they now want the court to permanently bar East Africa Breweries limited and its subsidiary Kenya Breweries Limited together with their agents from claiming brown beer bottles with any exclusive mark or unique initials.
The matter will be determined in court on 24th January, 2020.
