- Former EABL manager wins court case against the company over unlawful dismissal
- Court awards him over Ksh 10.8 million in salary compensation and notice pay
- EABL used questionable documents to terminate him without a fair procedure
- The court emphasised both proper evidence and due process in employment matters
- Legal experts say the ruling is a major warning to companies violating workers’ rights
A former top manager at East African Breweries Limited (EABL) will receive over Ksh 10.9 million after the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruled that he was wrongfully fired. The judge concluded that the company dismissed him without following the correct legal steps.
The case, heard in Nairobi under the file Ng’eno v East African Breweries PLC (Cause E874 of 2023), revealed that EABL relied on a questionable letter from Kenyatta University to justify the manager’s dismissal. The letter claimed the manager had discontinued his studies in 2012 but EABL could not explain how they got that document.
Even the company’s HR boss admitted they didn’t know where the letter came from. This made the court believe the company acted in bad faith and had unfair motives.
The court noted the manager had worked faithfully at EABL and had done nothing wrong to deserve termination. The judge awarded him 12 months’ salary — Ksh 10,058,300 — and added one more month’s pay as notice (Ksh 838,199), bringing the total compensation to Ksh 10,896,787.
This ruling reminds all employers, especially big firms, that the law demands fairness when dismissing workers. Under Kenya’s Employment Act, it’s not enough to just have accusations. Employers must give employees a chance to defend themselves before making final decisions.
Experts say the decision will pressure many companies to clean up their HR practices. Failure to do so may lead to costly legal cases and damaged reputations.
The judgment follows recent big rulings against other companies. For example, 17 former Safaricom workers were awarded about Ksh 55 million, and an ex-ABSA manager received Ksh 8.3 million after proving unfair treatment.
EABL has not responded to the ruling or said if it plans to appeal. But for now, the judgment is being closely watched in corporate offices across Kenya a clear signal that no company is above the law.
