Sky Foods Limited, the manufacturer of TreeTop juice, has been declared insolvent seven years after it was acquired by businessman Bernard Njoroge.

A notice dated September 30, announced that the official receiver of the company was appointed as administrator on September 26, 2024.

“I, official receiver…give notice that I have been appointed as administrator of the property of Sky Foods Ltd. by holder of a qualifying floating charge. The appointment is made with effect from the 26th day of September 2024 and in accordance with the provisions of the Insolvency Act,” the notice read in part.

 “Pursuant to this appointment, the affairs of the company, as well as its assets, are now vested with the Administrator. Take note that no action can be taken against the Company without the consent of the Administrator,’’ the notice added.

The company joins a lengthy list of other companies in Kenya that have halted operations due to the tough business environment occasioned by high taxes and decreased consumer spending.

Benard Njoroge, the former director at Del Monte Kenya had reportedly set up the Sh500 million juice plant in Juja, projecting an annual production of 12 million litres.

The businessman re-introduced the famous 1980s juice in the market in 2017 after acquiring it from Unilever Kenya.

Unilever had phased out the Treetop juice concentrate after it made massive losses. The brand was last sold in Kenyan shops in 1995 before Njoroge’s decision to re-introduce it back to the market.

In a post on howwemadeitinafrica.com., the businessman revealed while working at Del Monte he noted a huge interest in the Treetop juice among consumers and thought of buying the bran as his employer was not interested in it.

”When I was at Del Monte every time I did focus group interviews, consumers would often mention Treetop. I started thinking of buying the brand and reintroducing it but my employer wasn’t interested.’’ He said.

”So I decided to negotiate with Unilever on my own to acquire the trademark. I approached more than ten financing institutions, and eventually, after nearly two years, I raised over $2 million for this business,’’ Njoroge added.

Treetop juice made a comeback as ready-to-drink and dilute-to-taste variants. Under the ready-to-drink category, the drink was re-introduced in mango, orange, apple, and tropical flavors.

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The dilute-to-taste concentrate was, on the other hand, re-introduced in orange, mango, tropical, pineapple, strawberry, and banana flavors.

The company’s success in the market was evidenced by its expanded footprints in other African countries, including Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda.

The Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC) had invested Sh100 million in equity stake at the plant.

Bernard Njoroge’s career profile

The businessman has a rich marketing background and has worked for some of the top juice brands in the country including Coca-Cola and Del Monte.

He was in charge of overseeing Del Monte’s operations in East Africa, taking home a monthly salary of over Sh1 million.

Njoroge is credited for being part of the marketing team that introduced Del Monte to the market.

He served as Del Monte’s  Director of Sales and Marketing for Sub-Saharan Africa from September 2008 to October 2014 when he quit to found Sky Foods Limited.