The Kenya Flower Council (KFC) welcomes the end of the
aviation workers’ industrial action following the Return-to-Work Agreement reached between the
Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU), the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), the Kenya Civil Aviation
Authority (KCAA), Jambojet Limited and Government.
While the restoration of normal airport operations is welcome, the Kenya Flower Council must state
clearly that the disruption of the past two days was avoidable, and its economic consequences should
never have been allowed to reach this magnitude.
The agreement eventually reached addresses matters including agency fees, collective bargaining
negotiations, union recognition, management concerns and mechanisms for resolving outstanding
grievances. It further commits the parties to industrial peace, good-faith engagement, consultation,
negotiation and established dispute-resolution mechanisms.
These are fundamentally matters capable of resolution through dialogue and established industrial-
relations mechanisms. Kenya should therefore not have had to lose export cargo, market opportunities,
foreign exchange earnings and productive working hours before the parties returned to the
negotiating table.
For the flower and wider perishable export industry, unfortunately, the end of the strike does not
mean the end of the crisis.
About 1,000 Tonnes of Cargo Stranded – and More Remains on Farms
Industry estimates indicate that approximately 1,000 tonnes of cargo are currently caught in the
backlog at the airport, with additional volumes of flowers and other perishables held back at farms
and packhouses because the normal export chain was interrupted. 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.
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.
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.
The World Does Not Wait for Kenya
The international flower market continued operating while Kenya’s export system was disrupted.
Auctions continued. Retailers continued requiring flowers. Consumers continued buying. Importers
still had programmes to fulfil. And competing flower-producing countries remained ready to supply
the market.
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When Kenya cannot deliver, buyers have alternatives.
That is why this incident must be viewed not simply as an aviation labour dispute, but as an issue of
national export competitiveness, foreign-exchange earnings, employment, livelihoods and Kenya’s
reputation in international markets.
Kenya is one of the world’s leading exporters of cut flowers. Official statistics show that the country
exported approximately 130,600 tonnes of cut flowers worth KSh81.3 billion in 2025, with flower
export volumes increasing by 27.4% and earnings by 12.8% compared with 2024. Overall fresh
horticultural exports reached approximately 457,900 tonnes valued at KSh143.8 billion.
Flowers alone accounted for approximately 62% 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.
The events of the past two days demonstrate how quickly those gains can be threatened when the
country’s principal aviation gateway becomes unreliable.
Reliability Is Part of the Product We Sell
Kenya has spent decades building its position as a trusted global origin for high-quality flowers. Our
growers have invested heavily in production systems, technology, sustainability, certification, cold-
chain infrastructure, environmental and social standards and relationships with international
customers.
However, quality alone does not make Kenya competitive.
Reliability is itself part of what Kenya sells.
A buyer in Amsterdam, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Dubai or any other international market expects a
Kenyan flower ordered for a particular programme to arrive at the agreed time and in the required
condition.
Repeated disruptions at our principal export gateway risk sending a damaging message to
international buyers: that while Kenya can produce world-class flowers, it cannot always guarantee
that they will leave the country on schedule.
Kenya cannot afford that perception.
Competitor countries are continuously improving their production systems, freight connectivity and
market access. Every unnecessary disruption therefore creates an opportunity for another origin to
take an order, a programme or a customer that previously belonged to Kenya. Once lost, such business
is not necessarily recovered when airport operations resume.
This Disruption Should Have Been Avoided
KFC fully recognises the constitutional and labour rights of workers and the legitimate role of
collective bargaining. Equally, employers and Government institutions have a responsibility to engage
workers constructively and address grievances through established mechanisms.
However, the latest strike is particularly concerning because there had already been ample warning
and an earlier opportunity to resolve the dispute.