A storm is gathering at Coca-Cola Coastal Bottlers Limited, where allegations of intimidation, harassment, questionable dismissals, nepotism and a purported sex-linked business deal have plunged the Mombasa-based beverage company into controversy.
The allegations, contained in a recent investigative report and echoed in subsequent online reporting, paint a troubling picture of a workplace where some employees claim they have been left fearful of speaking out against senior management.
At the centre of the storm are Chief Executive Officer Seth Adu-Baah and Chief Commercial Officer Joseph Yeboah Mensah, alongside another official identified as Edward.
Employees quoted in the reports allege that the two senior executives have been involved in a management culture characterised by intimidation and pressure on local staff.
One employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that long-serving workers had watched colleagues lose their jobs with little explanation.
Among those mentioned were employees identified as Racheal and Nancy, with the source claiming Racheal, a single mother whose child was in university, was left fighting an ongoing court case after her dismissal.
The Sh15 million bombshell
But it is an alleged commercial transaction involving a woman identified as Rose Piroma, popularly known as Mwende, that has injected an explosive sexual dimension into the controversy.
According to the source cited by Weekly Citizen, Piroma allegedly sought to be accommodated as a distributor and developed a relationship with Mensah.
The source alleged that the relationship eventually resulted in a purported deal in which Sh15 million was allegedly lost.
Those claims remain allegations and have not been independently established by the courts.
The same source further alleged that Piroma was subsequently involved in another disputed Sh6.5 million transaction concerning a man identified as Karanja in Voi, a matter the source said was before the courts.
The allegations have since resurfaced in fresh online reporting, putting renewed scrutiny on the company’s leadership and the circumstances surrounding the purported financial loss.
Workers say fear has taken over
For some employees, however, the bigger concern is not the sensational allegation but what they describe as an increasingly hostile working environment.
The allegations include intimidation, harassment and dismissals that workers say were not adequately explained.
An activist, Evans Momanyi of the Capital Youth Caucus Association, has threatened demonstrations over what he described as injustices facing employees.
Momanyi invoked Article 41 of the Constitution, which protects the right to fair labour practices and reasonable working conditions.
The reports also name Tonny and George among employees allegedly shown the door despite being regarded by colleagues as hardworking.
Separate allegations have also been raised concerning the immigration status of some foreign executives. Those claims, too, require verification from the relevant authorities and should not be treated as established fact.
A company under the microscope
The controversy comes as Coastal Bottlers continues to publicly project an image of a modern, performance-driven organisation.
The company describes itself as one of Coca-Cola’s oldest bottlers in Kenya, tracing its operations to Mombasa in 1962 before moving to a modern facility in Mtwapa in 2008. Its public corporate messaging has recently emphasised teamwork, accountability, execution and organisational performance.
That public image now faces uncomfortable questions over whether the company’s internal workplace culture matches the leadership principles it promotes.
The dispute is also not occurring in a vacuum. Historical records show that Coastal Bottlers has previously faced employment litigation. In a 2018 Court of Appeal judgment, the company was involved in an employment dispute concerning the termination of a former General Sales Manager following what the company described as an operational and strategic restructuring.
There is also historical parliamentary material raising questions about alleged labour and employment tensions at Coastal Bottlers, although those records concern an earlier period and should not be conflated with the current allegations.
Leadership under pressure
The latest reporting has intensified scrutiny of Adu-Baah and Mensah, with subsequent coverage asking why the two executives remain in office despite repeated complaints attributed to current and former employees.
The issue now goes beyond office gossip.
Questions are emerging about employee welfare, disciplinary procedures, corporate governance, procurement and distributor relationships, as well as whether allegations involving senior executives have been subjected to an independent investigation.
Most importantly, employees who fear retaliation need credible mechanisms through which complaints can be raised and investigated without jeopardising their jobs.
The allegations remain contested and should be subjected to proper investigation rather than trial by media.
At the time of publication of the original Weekly Citizen report, Mensah and Adu-Baah had not responded to repeated calls seeking their comment and right of reply.
In subsequent reporting, Coca-Cola Coastal Bottlers’ Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Loyce Odhiambo, was quoted as confirming that the company was aware of the media reports and allegations but was reviewing the matter and could not comment further at that stage.
For a company whose brands are consumed daily by millions, the question now is whether the storm at the Coast will trigger a transparent reckoning inside the boardroom or simply disappear behind the familiar walls of corporate silence.
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