East African Breweries PLC (EABL) spent KSh5.9 billion on businesses owned by youth, women, and Persons with Disabilities in the past financial year, the company has said in its latest Sustainability Report.

The spend represents 7.9 per cent of EABL’s total supplier base, surpassing the initial target of 6 per cent. It is part of EABL’s broader strategy to promote economic inclusivity and empower underrepresented groups, by integrating them into the company’s supply chain.

Through this initiative, EABL aims to drive meaningful progress in fostering diversity while contributing to the economic empowerment of these marginalised groups.

This year’s report highlights the region’s largest manufacturer’s value creation beyond the generation of value for shareholders and the manufacture and distribution of alcoholic beverages. It also highlights the effect of the company’s significant investments in renewable energy, water conservation, and community empowerment initiatives, and progress on meeting the targets.

Speaking at the event to launch the report, Hon. Dorcas Oduor SC, EBS OGW – The Attorney General said: “As one of Kenya’s oldest and biggest companies, EABL has done a lot of pioneering work around ESG in the country and the region. I’m delighted when I see the work you have done and the progress towards sustainability and to prioritise the rights and dignity of every person, irrespective of their gender, age, physical ability or geographical location.”

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EABL’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jane Karuku, said: “In 2024, we made significant strides in our commitment to gender equality by increasing the number of women in leadership roles across the business. Women now make up 45 per cent of our leadership team, a reflection of our dedication to creating an inclusive environment that fosters equal opportunities for all.”

Among the highlights of the report, this year is the work done to empower underprivileged communities through skills development.

In 2024, the company provided business and hospitality skills training to 9,951 individuals, surpassing its annual target by 68 per cent.

Through the Learning for Life Initiative, the company empowered 4,570 women – against a target of 2,500 – with training in business and hospitality skills including budgeting, timekeeping, negotiation, and mixology to enable them to get employment or set up their own businesses.

On the environmental front, EABL reduced the amount of water used in manufacturing its products to 2.93 litres per litre of packaged product, beating the target of 3.07 litres per litre. The company increased the amount of water replenished to 403,908 cubic metres, from 361,217 cubic metres last year.

The full utilisation of the biomass plants at the breweries in Kampala, Kisumu and Nairobi has helped reduce EABL’s carbon footprint by reducing the company’s direct carbon emissions from 28.29 kilotons last year to 21.4 kilotons.

EABL also successfully implemented the project where they take back used spirit bottles from the market and in F24 collected more than 17 million bottles, with more than 500 youth employed to collect, wash, sort and store them before they are reused.

With the biomass plants in Nairobi, Kisumu and Kampala now fully operational, EABL has increased the use of renewable energy to 75.49 per cent of the total power used in its operations.