Keroche Breweries has asked the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for more time to clear its taxes areas said to be to the tune of Sh22.7 billion.

This comes after KRA responded to Keroche in their 16-year ugly dispute over unpaid backdated taxes.

The brewer asked for an 18-month grace period to clear its tax arrears while paying the current taxes.

Keroche issued a statement on Wednesday saying it had failed to honour its prior payment arrangement as had been agreed upon because of alleged frequent interruptions by KRA.

The Naivasha-based brewer has also asked KRA to allow it to reopen its plant and continue selling its alcoholic beverages to prevent further losses running into billions of shillings.

Keroche also appealed to KRA to lift the agency notices with 36 banks to allow the brewer to access financing to be able to stay afloat. 

KRA has accused Keroche of reneging on an agreement to clear the multi-billion-shilling tax arrears that would have seen it pay the taxman Sh1 billion monthly from December last year.