Court clears EABL–Asahi deal after dismissing bid to stop sale

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 9 – The High Court has cleared the sale involving East African Breweries PLC and Japan’s Asahi Group Holdings after dismissing a bid to block the transaction.

In a ruling, Justice Bahati Mwamuye lifted all interim orders that had been issued to halt the deal, allowing it to proceed.

The application had been filed by logistics firm Bia Tosha, which has been in a long-running dispute with EABL and its parent company Diageo over distribution rights and compensation.

“This decision allows the transaction to proceed to completion through standard regulatory channels,” EABL said in a statement.

The deal, valued at about Sh296.5 billion, will see Asahi acquire a majority stake in EABL from Diageo.

It also includes the takeover of spirits business UDV (Kenya) Limited, consolidating beer and spirits operations under a single majority owner.

Once completed, Asahi will assume control of EABL’s operations across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.