Tobacco-maker British American Tobacco (BAT) has been named the best employer in Kenya and Africa for the sixth time by the Top Employers Institute.

BAT was among 15 global companies that were recognized during a virtual award ceremony on Tuesday.

The BAT Group was certified globally as a Top Employer in 37 countries across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Top Employers Institute CEO David Plink said that their global Top Employers have continued to prioritize going above and beyond to maintain their excellent people practices in the workplace.

“They join a small group of 15 companies that have achieved a global certification through the Top Employers Programme. We are excited to celebrate and applaud them for their achievement in 2023,” Plink added said they are honored to receive the Top Employer certification for the sixth consecutive year.


Achola also said that the certification recognises BAT’s diverse and inclusive culture as well as a purposeful and enabling working environment.

“Guided by our Ethos (Bold, Fast, Empowered, Diverse, Responsible), we are continually striving to maintain a workplace where employees feel well-supported, even through the ongoing challenging times,” he said.

The Top Employer certification is based on an extensive review of employer practices across six human resource domains and 20 topics such as people strategy, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, well-being, diversity & inclusion.

The Top Employer certification process is conducted annually by the Top Employers Institute, an independent organization that studies the employee offerings of major employers around the world.

Certification recognizes employers that provide best-in-class employment practices, allowing employees to develop themselves personally and professionally, while driving business results.

Participating companies undergo a rigorous assessment process which includes an extensive review of employer practices.

Several validation sessions are held where evidence of these practices is provided, and an independent audit of the findings is also carried out.