Bʏ Mᴀsɪʟᴀ Kᴀɴʏɪɴɢɪ,
January 29, 2026
If anyone thought one moth could bring Kenya’s floriculture industry to its knees, this week’s Floriweek politely remind us that our sector has thicker skin than a greenhouse polyfilm. Yes, one moth should not define our market access, especially when the real drama is happening 10,000 feet in the air. Valentine’s Day once again exposed tight airlift capacity, proving that love may be limitless, but cargo space is not.
Fortunately, Kenya Airways has appointed a new Head of Cargo Commercial and Global Sales, presumably to perform miracles with aircraft bellies that are already full.
While planes struggle, policymakers have decided to play Cupid. The proposed major tax relief for agricultural exporters in the Finance Bill 2026 feels like a bouquet of roses to a sector that has been paying thorns for too long. Add to that the appointment of Dr. Patrick Ketiem as the new Director General of KALRO, and suddenly research, innovation, and policy are all smiling in the same photo.
In Naivasha, Flamingo Horticulture’s major expansion reminds us that investors still believe in Kenya, despite our occasional habit of debating insects more passionately than infrastructure. Across the border, Ethiopia is moving from tax holidays to performance-driven growth, gently whispering to us that incentives are nice, but results are nicer.
Meanwhile, shipping lines are still holding therapy sessions with the Suez Canal Authority over the Red Sea situation, while IPM ESSEN 2026 and FLA 2026 promise grand conversations about redefining flower logistics—hopefully with fewer PowerPoint slides and more cargo space.
And just to prove we are not a one-flower economy, Kenyan green-skin avocados are quietly conquering export markets. So, as the moth debates rage on, the industry marches forward—taxed, flown, shipped, researched, expanded, and occasionally amused by its own resilience.