Nile Breweries Limited (NBL) has been devastated by the unexpected departure of one their best marketeers and longest serving employees, Daniel Ogong with word in the mill saying that the much fancied Sam Hooper is taking over.
Ogong, the former head of marketing who has been ostensibly missing in action on the social scene lately is said to have resigned at the end of last month, protesting poor working conditions and undue pressure from the beer maker’s new white bosses of Budweiser brewer, Anheuser-Bush (AB) InBev who bought out SABMiller for about 68 million pounds over a year ago.
Fast forward to 2017, sources say a sizeable number of employees at NBL have lost their jobs as the new management seeks to streamline operations and it is ready to effect changes that seek to bring about efficiency and profitability, adopting a rather smaller structure similar to one of the rivals Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL), but a very productive one.
A top-level management worker speaking anonymously said, “Daniel is out, AB Inbev came in and made life hard. In fact most top managers were forced to quit last week following an internal audit which they claim unearthed unbelievable rot.”
This is not the first time Ogong, who joined NBL in 2002 is resigning under unclear circumstances. In 2009 while brand manager for Nile Special beer and Club brands, he left the Jinja-based company protesting poor pay and lack of support from his bosses.
Then, his wife Brenda, who worked as public relations manager at Moringa Ogilvy, a PR firm, resigned and followed suit but the experienced Ogong renegotiated his way back – with a huge pay cheque as the head of group marketing.
Ogong follows fellow big shots like the Breweries’ Events Coordinator Moses Buhanga, Club beer’s former face Shem Semambo, former Kampala area manager Conrad Kizito and ex Nile Beer brand manager Timothy Kayondo
Nile Breweries Limited is the producer of: Nile Special, Club Pilsiner, Eagle Lager, Eagle Extra, Eagle Dark, Nile Gold, Castle Milk Stout, Redd’s, Redd’s Vodka Lemon, Castle Lite, Chibuku and Club Twist – a 2% ABV flavored beer.
