21: 05: 2026
Kenya’s flower industry, one of the country’s most valuable export sectors, suffered a major disruption this week as a nationwide public transport strike brought movement across key transport corridors to a near standstill, threatening millions of shillings in export revenues and exposing the fragility of the country’s logistics systems.
The strike, which paralysed movement across Nairobi and other major transport routes as it delayed workers from reaching flower farms, disrupted harvesting and packing schedules, and slowed the transportation of highly perishable flowers to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the critical export gateway for Kenya’s floriculture industry.
In a statement released by the Kenya Flower Council, the council warned that the disruption could cost the industry as much as Ksh200 million in delayed shipments and wastage risks in just one day, with between 100 and 200 tonnes of flowers affected in varying degrees. The council noted that farm attendance in several flower-growing regions dropped significantly as workers struggled with roadblocks, unavailable public transport, and restricted movement along major roads.
For an industry built on precision timing, every hour matters.
Flowers are among the most perishable export products, with strict delivery schedules to international buyers in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Once harvested, they must move through a carefully coordinated cold-chain system from farms to packhouses, refrigerated transport, airport cargo handling, and onward to international markets. Any interruption along that chain can quickly translate into spoilage, rejected consignments, financial losses, and damaged buyer confidence.
The latest disruption could not have come at a worse time.
Kenya’s floriculture sector is already grappling with soaring freight costs, reduced cargo space, and the lingering effects of global geopolitical tensions that continue to strain international supply chains. According to industry estimates, Kenya’s flower exporters have already been losing up to USD 1.4 million (about Ksh180 million) every week due to logistics-related disruptions.
The transport strike has now added a domestic layer of uncertainty to an already volatile global operating environment.
This is particularly worrying given the strategic importance of the sector to Kenya’s economy. The flower industry generates over Ksh110 billion annually, supports more than 200,000 direct jobs, and sustains over 1.5 million livelihoods indirectly through transporters, input suppliers, packers, freight handlers, and countless rural households.
Beyond the immediate financial hit, repeated logistical disruptions risk eroding Kenya’s standing as one of the world’s most reliable flower suppliers. International buyers increasingly demand consistency, and competitors such as Ethiopia, Colombia, and Ecuador are constantly seeking to strengthen their market position.
The crisis has once again highlighted the urgent need for Kenya to build more resilient transport and logistics systems, particularly for export-oriented sectors that depend on uninterrupted connectivity.
The Kenya Flower Council has called for urgent coordinated intervention to restore normal transport operations, protect cargo movement corridors, and cushion exporters from rising logistics costs. It has also urged all stakeholders to prioritise dialogue to ensure strategic industries are shielded from prolonged disruptions.
For Kenya’s flower growers, the message is simple: while global market pressures may be unavoidable, domestic disruptions are risks the country can no longer afford.
If Kenya is to maintain its bloom in the global flower trade, its roads, logistics systems, and policy responses must prove just as reliable as the flowers it sends to the world.