The Kenya Meat Livestock Exporters Industry Council is estimating losses of about KSh1 billion after operations stalled for nearly a week.
- •The exporters say a flight that departed JKIA on Wednesday was the first to carry the cargo since Saturday, but at sharply higher costs.
- •Meat exporters say flights to the Middle East were grounded for several days, leaving slaughterhouses and cold storage facilities holding unsent consignments.
- •An IMF mission to Kenya has warned that the escalating tensions could pose fresh risks to Kenya’s economic outlook.
“Any meat that we slaughtered on Friday and Saturday has not left the country and we have not been able to slaughter meat from Monday to date,” said Nicholus Ngahu, chief executive of the industry council.
Kenya's meat shipments typically surge during the Ramadhan season.
The conflict is also raising concerns for other export sectors. Iran’s widening confrontation with regional rivals has included threats to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil and trade route.
Even without a full closure, higher insurance premiums and freight costs for vessels transiting the Gulf could raise transport expenses for Kenyan exporters.
Tea exporters are particularly exposed. Iran has historically been a major buyer of Kenyan tea, though shipments dropped sharply after Tehran suspended imports in 2024 over allegations related to misrepresentation of imported leaves and foreign currency misappropriation.
