{"id":411,"date":"2025-12-18T09:39:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T09:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/?p=411"},"modified":"2025-12-18T09:39:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T09:39:54","slug":"safeguarding-kenyas-flower-power-html-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/?p=411","title":{"rendered":"Safeguarding Kenya\u2019s Flower Power: Industry Urges Predictable Policies to Protect Jobs and Exports"},"content":{"rendered":"
Safeguarding Kenya\u2019s Floriculture Industry \u2013 A Call for a Conducive Business Environment<\/u><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
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By Jeff Kizzilah\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
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KFC Chief Executive Officer Mr. Clement Tulezi\/photo<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/div>\n

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Kenya\u2019s floriculture industry remains one of the country\u2019s most resilient and globally competitive export sectors and a flagship contributor to the Bottom-Up Economic Agenda (BETA), the Kenya Flower Council (KFC) has said.<\/div>\n
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Speaking during a media engagement, KFC Chief Executive Officer Mr. Clement Tulezi noted that the industry contributes approximately 1.6 per cent of national GDP and nearly 18 per cent of Kenya\u2019s total export earnings, sustaining over two million livelihoods across production regions.<\/div>\n
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Despite global inflationary pressures and high freight costs, the sector recorded modest growth in export volumes and farm-gate values in 2024\u2014underscoring continued global confidence in Kenyan flowers.<\/div>\n
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In 2024, the floriculture sector:<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
Generated KES 108 billion (USD 835 million) in export earnings<\/div>\n
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Directly employed over 200,000 workers<\/div>\n
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Supported more than two million livelihoods, particularly among women and youth<\/div>\n
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The industry remains a critical anchor for rural economies, county development priorities, and foreign exchange earnings.<\/div>\n
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An Industry on a Growth Trajectory<\/b><\/i><\/div>\n
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Mr. Tulezi said that with supportive and predictable policies, the sector has strong potential to:<\/div>\n
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Grow revenues from USD 835 million in 2024 to over USD 1.4 billion by 2030<\/div>\n
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Expand production by 5,000 additional hectares over the next decade<\/div>\n
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Create an additional 20,000 jobs through increased value addition at source<\/div>\n
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\u201cThese ambitions align directly with BETA pillars on export-led growth, job creation, climate-smart development, and MSME empowerment,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n
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Rising Participation of Small and Medium Growers<\/b><\/i><\/div>\n
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The sector has recorded growing participation by smallholder and medium-scale growers, many of whom are entering export markets for the first time through consolidation models. This expansion is particularly evident in counties such as Nakuru, Laikipia, Kiambu, Meru, Uasin Gishu and Nyandarua.<\/div>\n
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Supporting smaller farms is critical as it:<\/div>\n
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Expands rural household incomes<\/div>\n
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Increases county-level export earnings<\/div>\n
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Diversifies supply and strengthens resilience<\/div>\n
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Deepens Kenya\u2019s global competitiveness<\/div>\n
However, these new entrants require predictable regulatory frameworks and affordable compliance pathways to thrive.<\/div>\n
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Environmental and Social Compliance \u2013 FOSS Certification<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
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Kenya continues to lead globally on sustainability through the KFC Flowers and Ornamentals Sustainability Standard (FOSS). Over 80 per cent of Kenya\u2019s flower exports are certified under FOSS, positioning the country as a model for ethical and environmentally responsible floriculture.<\/div>\n
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The FOSS standard ensures:<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
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Responsible pesticide use and compliance with global residue limits<\/div>\n
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Safe working environments, fair wages and strong labour protections<\/div>\n
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Gender equality, women\u2019s leadership pathways and childcare safeguards<\/div>\n
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Environmental protection through water efficiency, carbon reduction and biodiversity conservation<\/div>\n
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The floriculture sector remains one of the largest formal employers of women in rural Kenya, with farms increasingly implementing gender-responsive workplaces and strong grievance mechanisms.<\/div>\n
Trade Fairs and Market Access<\/div>\n
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KFC emphasized that continued participation in international trade fairs is critical for retaining market share, securing logistics channels, and expanding into Asia, the Middle East and the United States.<\/div>\n
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Government support through trade missions, export promotion financing, and bilateral agreements remains vital to strengthening Kenya\u2019s global flower brand.<\/div>\n
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Key Barriers to Competitiveness<\/b><\/i><\/div>\n
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Despite its strong performance, the sector faces growing challenges that threaten long-term sustainability, including:<\/div>\n
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Over 50 levies, fees and charges, creating unpredictability and high operating costs<\/div>\n
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Delayed VAT refunds exceeding KES 12 billion, forcing growers into expensive borrowing<\/div>\n
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Taxes that discourage value addition and increase input costs, including KEBS levy hikes, UCR fees, and excise duty on kraft paper<\/div>\n
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Recommendations to Government in Support of BETA<\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
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While appreciating ongoing government efforts to streamline trade processes, KFC called for urgent reforms to protect jobs and unlock growth:<\/div>\n
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Restore Liquidity and Predictability<\/b><\/i><\/div>\n
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Fast-track settlement of verified VAT refund backlogs<\/div>\n
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Remove VAT refund caps for large exporters<\/div>\n
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Allow VAT offsets against tax obligations<\/div>\n
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\u00a0Rationalise and Harmonise Levies<\/div>\n
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Consolidate multiple charges into a single, predictable levy<\/div>\n
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Exempt agricultural exports from the KEBS Standards Levy<\/div>\n
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Revert the HCD levy to a volume-based incentive structure<\/div>\n
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Cap the UCR levy at USD 3 and abolish excise duty on kraft paper<\/div>\n
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\u00a0Enhance Regulatory and Trade Facilitation<\/div>\n
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Digitise approvals under an \u201capply once, pay once\u201d framework<\/div>\n
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Conduct regulatory impact assessments before introducing new taxes<\/div>\n
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Prioritise cold-chain logistics and reduce high air freight costs at JKIA<\/div>\n
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Kenya Flower Council reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with government, counties, regulators and development partners to:<\/div>\n
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Protect export jobs,Promote value addition at source<\/div>\n
Expand foreign exchange earnings<\/div>\n
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Accelerate climate-smart and sustainable agriculture<\/div>\n
\u201cA predictable and enabling business environment will protect over 200,000 jobs, unlock more than USD 1.4 billion in export earnings by 2030, and strengthen Kenya\u2019s global competitiveness,\u201d Mr. Tulezi said.<\/div>\n
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KFC called for policies that facilitate growth rather than constrain it, ensuring Kenya remains home to the world\u2019s best flower growers.<\/div>\n
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Safeguarding Kenya\u2019s Floriculture Industry \u2013 A Call for a Conducive Business Environment By Jeff Kizzilah\u00a0 KFC Chief Executive Officer Mr. Clement Tulezi\/photo\u00a0 Kenya\u2019s floriculture industry… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-county-mews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livenation254.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}