NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 2 – The Kenya Flower Council (KFC) has said the recent aviation workers’ strike at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) stranded about 1,000 tonnes of flower cargo, causing losses to growers and exporters.
The two-day strike also disrupted the movement of other flowers and perishable products, with additional volumes held back at farms and packhouses after the normal export chain was interrupted.
KFC said clearing the backlog would take several days, given the highly perishable nature of flowers and the tight schedules under which they are harvested, packed and transported.
“Clearing this backlog will take several days. Flowers are not conventional cargo that can simply wait for the next available aircraft. They are highly perishable, time-sensitive products harvested, graded, packed and transported against specific flight schedules, auction windows, retailer programmes and customer delivery dates. Every additional hour matters,” KFC said in a statement.
“Delays translate directly into reduced vase life and shelf life, compromised quality, missed connecting flights, additional cold-chain and handling costs, cancelled orders and, ultimately, lost revenue,” it added.
KFC said some orders affected by the disruption over the two days would not be recovered, adding to the challenges facing growers and exporters who are already dealing with high airfreight charges, rising production and compliance costs and intense competition in international markets.
“Unfortunately, some of the orders affected over the past two days will not be recovered. This disruption therefore adds further pain to growers and exporters during what has already been an exceptionally difficult year, characterised by high airfreight charges, rising production and compliance costs and intense competition in international markets.”
Aviation workers under the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) ended their two-day strike on Tuesday after bringing flight operations at JKIA and Moi International Airport in Mombasa to a halt.
The disruption comes at a critical time for Kenya’s flower industry, which remains a major source of export earnings.
Official statistics show that Kenya exported about 130,600 tonnes of cut flowers worth Sh81.3 billion in 2025. Flower export volumes increased by 27.4 percent, while earnings rose by 12.8 percent compared with 2024.
Overall fresh horticultural exports reached approximately 457,900 tonnes valued at Sh143.8 billion, with flowers accounting for about 62 percent of the value of Kenya’s horticultural exports in 2025.
“This is therefore not a peripheral industry whose supply chain can be switched on and off without consequences. It is one of Kenya’s important sources of export earnings, jobs and rural livelihoods,” KFC stated.
“The events of the past two days demonstrate how quickly those gains can be threatened when the country’s principal aviation gateway becomes unreliable.”
