East African Breweries is looking to increase production of its low-cost beers.

According to a report by news agency Reuters, the brewer is investing 1 billion shillings (US$13m) to boost output of its Senator Keg brand.

The move is in response to a number of deaths in Kenya from the consumption of illicit alcohol, which has driven demand for legitimate low cost beverages.

"What we are doing now is to up our capacity as a result of the need that we are seeing in the market whereby people have died," a company executive told Reuters.

"We know that we have to provide a credible alternative as quickly as possible. This is a brand that has already been in the market."