Over the past weekend, the renowned businesswoman Tabitha Karanja celebrated her 60th birthday in a glamorous, intimate event.
The Keroche Breweries owner and Nakuru County Senator was surrounded by loved ones at the ceremony, where elegant décor and a cake-cutting area had been set up.
Her daughter, Anerlisa Muigai documented the special moments on Instagram, while sharing a heartwarming message to her mum.
“I love you, for all that you do – for your wisdom and kindness, your patience and generosity, and for always believing in me. I can only imagine how miserable I would be without you. You know me the best,” she wrote.
Upbringing
Tabitha was born and raised in a humble background in Kijabe town. She was the first-born child of 10, and as psychology website VeryWell Mind reports, would be pushed to be at her best to set a good example for her siblings.
“First born children are often described as leaders, high-achieving (or sometimes over-achieving), structured and organized, responsible and mature.”
The report adds: “When you become an older sibling, you suddenly have to share your parent’s attention. You may feel that your parents have higher expectations for you and look to you to set an example for your younger siblings.”
Even when she had finished her preparatory and high schooling years, she remembers going back to the schools where her sister and brothers were attending, and wanting to monitor their performance to ensure they were also achieving their goals per Lionesses of Africa.
The site featured Tabitha’s story nearly 10 years ago, but since then, a lot has changed for the businesswoman, including the sad loss of her daughter Tecra, stepping down as Keroche Breweries CEO and stepping into politics and governance.
Love meets business
The Keroche Breweries founder started her work journey as an accounting clerk at the Ministry of Tourism.
She quit her job after two years and ventured into business with her husband.
“When I was there, I met my husband,” she says amid a deep belly laughter that speaks of the un-containable joy he brings her.
It is an April 2024 interview with TV47 where she reflects on their love story, and how it ended up being not just a union of lovers but that of the perfect business partners.
“It was in Naivasha, and that is where he also started his business. In some of those meetings, we met, and the rest is history. And then he knew my family, my dad… So immediately after we knew each other he started visiting home, and became even more friendly with my dad than me,” she says.
She adds: “After we got married, he wanted someone to help in this small hardware that he had in Naivasha. He’s the one who was closing the shop to go pick hardware from Nairobi, and then having to come and open in the evening. Now, he had found someone who could stand in and he wouldn’t have to close. Finally I resigned, and I remember retiring very early- I was 20 something.”
She notes that her entrepreneurial skills moved her to leave employment and venture fully into business, which she felt was her true calling.
Keroche Breweries
Tabitha established Keroche Breweries alongside her husband, Joseph Karanja in 1997.
She knew she wanted to venture into manufacturing, so first, she did some research and discovered the gap in the locally brewed alcoholic beverages space.
The company initially made wine, but progressed to spirits and beer later.
“So we thought; why don’t we come up with a product that is hygienically produced, that meets international standards and is affordable?” she said in an interview, adding, “We were largely accepted in the market and after this, we started our expansion plans.”
Governance
Tabitha ran for and won the Nakuru County Senatorial seat during the 2022 General Election.
She resigned as the CEO of Keroche Breweries last year after 25 years in the role, handing over to COO Potas Anaya.
