- Flower exporters seek safeguards to keep JKIA operations running during disputes.
- Over 1,000 tonnes of perishable cargo were stranded during the strike.
- KFC wants priority handling, alternative routes and real time updates for exporters.
Kenya Flower Council (KFC) wants the government to set up a National Aviation Contingency Protocol for Perishable Exports, arguing that flowers and vegetables need guaranteed passage through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) even when labour disputes disrupt operations.
The call follows a two-day strike by aviation workers that grounded activity at JKIA, disrupting both cargo and passenger flights.
Backlog tops 1,000 tonnes
KFC says the standoff left more than 1,000 tonnes of cargo, worth millions of shillings, stuck at the airport, and that clearing the backlog is still ongoing.
Speaking on the matter, KFC Chief Executive Officer Clement Tulezi warned that recurring disruptions of this kind send the wrong signal to buyers abroad.
He noted that Kenya remains a leading horticultural exporter with produce of top international standard, but that growers cannot always guarantee their flowers will depart on schedule, a gap that ultimately hurts the country’s standing in export markets.
Tulezi maintained that the strike could have been avoided altogether. According to him, KFC believes the disruption and the scale of economic damage it caused were both preventable, and that the issues eventually resolved between the parties could have been settled without shutting down the airport for two days.
READ ALSO:
He added that farms and pack houses across the country are still holding back additional stock that never made it to the airport during the standoff.
What the protocol should cover
Tulezi outlined several elements he wants built into the proposed protocol, including giving perishable cargo priority handling, protecting cold-chain integrity, speeding up cargo clearance, keeping aircraft servicing on track, arranging alternative routing options, managing backlogs systematically, and maintaining real-time updates to exporters during disruptions.
He argued that because Kenya’s horticultural sector relies so heavily on JKIA for time-sensitive shipments, such safeguards amount to an economic necessity rather than a discretionary measure.
Call for a standing dispute mechanism
Beyond the contingency protocol, Tulezi is pushing for a permanent industrial relations framework for the aviation sector, one that would bring together government agencies, airport management, airlines, labour representatives and other stakeholders who depend on the airport’s infrastructure.
He cautioned that Kenya’s rivals in the global cut-flower trade are steadily strengthening their production capacity, freight links and access to markets, and that every disruption at JKIA hands them an opening to pick up orders, contracts or clients that would otherwise have gone to Kenyan growers.
Tulezi said the country’s reputation as a reliable exporter has taken decades to establish and should not be jeopardised by disputes that could be resolved through negotiation.
By Benedict Aoya
Get more stories from our website: Sacco Review.
For comments and clarifications, write to: Saccoreview@
Kindly follow us via our social media pages on Facebook: Sacco Review Newspaper for timely updates
Stay ahead of the pack! Grab the latest Sacco Review newspaper!
