30: 04: 2026
Kenya’s export sector is facing fresh logistical strain as disruptions along key global trade routes continue to ripple through international supply chains, putting pressure on shipment timelines and driving up freight costs. According to Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui, the ongoing crisis in the Middle East has forced cargo vessels and aircraft to reroute away from the critical Red Sea and Gulf corridors, leading to extended transit times, costly delays, and renewed uncertainty for export-dependent industries such as floriculture.
Kenya’s floriculture industry is confronting one of its most difficult trading periods in recent years, as geopolitical instability in the Middle East disrupts critical cargo routes, drives up freight costs and forces growers to dump significant volumes of flowers.
What began as logistical disruptions linked to escalating tensions across the Middle East has rapidly evolved into a full-scale commercial crisis for an industry that generates more than KSh110 billion annually in export earnings and supports up to 500,000 jobs directly and indirectly.
Speaking on the severity of the situation, Kenya Flower Council (KFC) Chief Executive Officer Clement Tulezi described the past several weeks as exceptionally difficult for growers and exporters. “The last six or seven weeks have been very difficult for growers and exporters of cut flowers and ornamentals from Kenya,” he said, noting that cargo capacity on some routes has fallen by as much as 30 percent, while freight costs have nearly doubled.
Exporters report that airfreight charges, which averaged between US$2–3 per kilo, have surged to as high as US$5 per kilo, severely eroding already thin margins.
For Franklyne Moses, CEO of Herany Flora, the impact is being felt across the entire supply chain. “The current global market situation is not good at all. It is really hurting most of us from Kenya, the producers and exporters of flowers,” he said.
Herany Flora, which consolidates flowers from multiple Kenyan farms for export to Europe, Asia and the Middle East, says delayed shipments and market uncertainty are forcing difficult decisions at farm level. “We are suffering a great deal. Farms are experiencing huge losses through flower dumping because there is no access to markets at the specific time needed,” Moses explained.
The timing could hardly be worse. The disruption has coincided with a peak production window between Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, when flower volumes are traditionally high and demand certainty is essential.
At farm level, losses are mounting rapidly. Industry estimates indicate the sector has already lost approximately US$4.8 million (KSh620 million) over the past three weeks due to delayed shipments, perished flowers and reduced market access.
Xflora Group Managing Director Inder Nain says between 20 and 25 percent of production is currently being discarded because shipping flowers at current freight rates is no longer commercially viable.
The crisis is also exposing Kenya’s vulnerability to global logistics disruptions.
The Middle East accounts for 10–15 percent of Kenya’s flower exports and serves as a crucial transit corridor for shipments destined for Europe and other international markets. With aircraft rerouting around restricted airspace and cargo schedules disrupted, transit delays of up to 48 hours are proving devastating for highly perishable products.
Meanwhile, growers face growing competitive pressure from producers in South America and Ethiopia, many of whom are less exposed to the disrupted corridors.
“There is no vacuum in the market; someone else will fill it,” Tulezi warned.
To stay afloat, some farms have begun lowering flower prices, offering promotional incentives and seeking alternative regional markets. However, these are short-term survival measures.
The industry is now urging urgent government intervention, including the release of approximately KSh10 billion in pending VAT refunds, expansion of direct cargo flights to Europe and broader diversification of export logistics.
Despite the uncertainty, sector leaders remain cautiously hopeful. “This should not be a breaking point for us, but a moment we go through and recover from,” Moses said.
For Kenya’s flower industry, resilience is once again being tested — but so too is the urgency of building a more shock-proof export system.