Tabitha Karanja: Court Orders For Arrest Of Nakuru Senator For Skipping Hearing Of KSh 14b Tax Evasion Case

• A warrant of arrest was issued on Wednesday against Keroche Breweries proprietor Tabitha Karanja over failure to appear in court
• Keroche, a Nakuru-based alcoholic manufacturer, is embroiled in a legal contest with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) over alleged evasion of KSh 14 billion in taxes
• In her quick response after the arrest warrant, Karanja said her company was already engaging the taxman in an out-of-court settlement

Nakuru - Senator Tabitha Karanja is to be sought by law enforcers for allegedly skipping court proceedings.

The court issued a warrant of arrest against the lawmaker after she supposedly failed to turn up for the hearing of the KSh 14 billion tax evasion case against her proprietorship, Keroche Breweries.

The senator would, however use Twitter to defend herself.

Tabitha Karanja: I'm disappointed

She said, "I am shocked and disappointed at this development, " divulging that there was no need for her availability in court, and that of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), as an out-of-court settlement had been employed.

"We were not represented in Court due to the fact that the Kenya Revenue Authority and Keroche Breweries are currently engaged in an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process as ordered by the same court. The first meeting was held on June 6, and the process is ongoing," she said.

Karanja blamed the relevant authorities overseeing the ADR for undermining the process by failing to coordinate and communicate with the parties.

"It is critical that these important ADR processes are not undermined by lack of coordination and communication by the various authorities charged with managing this matter," she added.

The upper legislative House's first-timer faced 10 counts of tax evasion before her charge sheet was amended.

She was issued with 45 days to reach an out-of-court settlement with the KRA over the evaded taxes.

End of tenure as Keroche Breweries CEO

Karanja quit as Keroche's chief executive in June this year after 25 years in charge.

She handed the reins of the Naivasha-based brewer to chief financial officer Potas Anaya.

Karanja, the company's founder, announced her resignation on June 13 as the company kicked off its 25th-anniversary celebrations.

"Today marks a significant milestone as I make an important announcement. After 25 tears as captain, the time has come for me, Tabitha Karanja to pass the baton to a new generation of business leaders. It is with immense pride that I announce my decision to step down as CEO of Keroche Breweries and over to a deserving successor," Karanja said.