East African Breweries Limited (EABL) under the leadership of CEO Jane Karuku is facing serious allegations regarding its hiring practices, with accusations of gender-based discrimination.
According to an anonymous source who reached out with specific concerns, the company is reportedly favouring female candidates for some job vacancies and effectively shutting out qualified male applicants, regardless of merit or qualifications.
This move, the source claims, is part of a wider agenda to empower women in the workplace but has inadvertently excluded capable male candidates from opportunities. “Hi Nyakundi. Having read today’s report on more women getting 100k, which is equivalent to 92%, a case in point is KBL preferring to employ only women.
This means in such vacancies, no man stands a chance, just because they want to empower more women. Why not base it on merit and let the best win? It’s just like the role of women’s rep, which is preserved for them. Kindly keep this information anonymous, I don’t want problems with them,” an insider informed us on Tuesday.
The controversy comes amidst a wider conversation on the gender pay gap in Kenya. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reported a rise in the number of women in high-paying jobs, with women now making up 92% of new super earners in Kenya’s formal sector.
Critics argue that imposing gender quotas or prioritizing one gender over another in hiring decisions goes against the principles of meritocracy where qualifications and skills should be the sole deciding factors.
