Twiga Foods, a Kenyan eCommerce platform, has reached an agreement with Google Cloud reseller Incentro Africa to resolve their lingering dispute over Google Cloud Services debt. The financial disagreement between the two firms, which began in September 2023 and lasted over four months, started when Incentro sued Twiga Foods, demanding payment of a $261,878.75 debt or risk liquidation.
The purported debt originated from Incentro’s services provided under the Google Partners Funding Programme, involving Google Cloud Services and Partner Service Funds. Confronted with the threat of liquidation, Twiga Foods retaliated with a countersuit to impede Incentro’s plan to initiate a liquidation procedure, arguing that Incentro’s statutory demand was hasty and motivated by hidden agendas.
As stated in court documents, Twiga Foods vehemently objected to Incentro’s premature claim, especially given that the agritech company was already in talks with Google Ireland Limited, the main provider of Google Cloud Services, regarding the bills. Twiga Foods contended that the demand was made in bad faith.
A month later, Twiga Foods acknowledged it was negotiating with Incentro regarding the same bill but reaffirmed its stance questioning the validity of the cloud provider’s lawsuit. Despite layoffs and changes to its business model, the company reassured stakeholders and clients about its overall viability.
In December 2023, a court in Nairobi, Kenya, gave Twiga Foods and Incentro five months to resolve their disagreement regarding the sum owed by Twiga to Incentro. While Incentro claimed it was due $450,000 in unpaid bills and a delayed bonus from Google, an increase from the original demand of $261,878, Twiga contended that it only owed $94,000.
After much negotiation, both companies have agreed to settle the dispute out of court. This decision follows recent undisclosed investments into Twiga Foods by Creadev, Juven, TLcom Capital Partners, and DOB Equity.
Dennis de Weerd, Incentro Africa CEO, praised the resolution, attributing the successful deliberation largely to the outstanding efforts of Twiga’s Chief Financial Officer, Zuber Momoniat. He stated that this collaboration serves to strengthen the relationship between Twiga Foods and Incentro Africa.
Twiga was established in 2014 by Peter Njonjo and Grant Brooke, the latter being the former CEO and co-founder. In 2019, Brooke relinquished his position and passed the reins to Njonjo. In a similar development, Njonjo also stepped down as CEO shortly after declaring a six-month sabbatical.
