This past weekend, the Kenya Flower Festival 2025, themed ‘Flowers in the Wild,’ turned Kenya's floriculture landscape into a spectacular carnival, celebrating wild nature and floral artistry. This edition—the 5th of its kind—of the floral event fondly known as KEFFLO and organized by floral entrepreneur Rosemary Kimunya, took place across multiple exquisite venues from September 30th to October 4th. It presented an extraordinary floral experience that definitely surpassed all previous such festivals. How did it all go down? Well, here’s how
A Festival That Captured Hearts Across Kenya’s Flower and Nature Lovers
The 2025 KEFFLO was distinguished by its wide scope and diversity, spanning from the flower farms of Naivasha and Nakuru to the iconic Nairobi National Park, and other venues along the way. The festival masterfully wove together Kenya's natural beauty with its world-renowned floriculture expertise, and the resultant experience was, for those who attended, unforgettable, celebrating the country's place as the fourth-largest exporter of cut flowers globally.
The festival's crown jewel, ‘Roses, Rosé & Roast, took place on October 4th at Nairobi National Park, marking the first time this iconic venue hosted such a floral extravaganza. Against the backdrop of Nairobi's magnificent skyline in the background, and roaming wildlife, those present enjoyed an enchanting garden party atmosphere that perfectly embodied the then ‘safari chic + pastel monochrome’ colors.
Immersive Flower Farm Experiences That Showcased Kenya’s Floral Expertise
The festival's multi-day experience began with the ‘Flower Farm Tours in Full Bloom’ on September 30th, where guests ventured behind the scenes of Kenya's most iconic flower farms and establishments, including breeder Interplant Roses’ facility. These intimate tours offered participants the rare opportunity to witness how Kenya's world-class flowers are bred, grown, sorted, and prepared for global markets. The experience included guided tours, hands-on bouquet creation, networking lunches, and the joyful ‘happy florals’ dress code that set the festive tone.
For those seeking the ultimate luxury experience, the ‘Farm, Flowers & Sunset Safari' combined flower farm visits with scenic game drives and exclusive bush dinners under East Africa's starlit skies. This premium offering, spanning September 30th and October 1st in Naivasha and Nakuru, provided guests with accommodations, park visits, and the complete ‘safari chic + floral’ experience, just as the then dress code implied. The second day of the floral safari had participants creating their own floral masterpieces while learning about the complete journey of flowers from breeding to international markets.
The Flowerpreneur Summit, Where Floral Business Ideas Thrived
October 3rd saw the highly anticipated ‘Flowerpreneur Summit: Where Business Meets Bloom' in Nairobi. This was a dynamic gathering bringing together top voices in floriculture and floristry, including expert growers, export consolidators, and world-class master florists for an intensive day of learning and networking. The summit featured panel discussions on export business opportunities, hands-on floral masterclass sessions, and valuable networking with speakers from Kenya, the UK, and South Africa.
The summit's comprehensive program included guidance on starting florist businesses, industry leadership insights, and practical sessions that empowered aspiring flower entrepreneurs. This session attracted visitors from at least six countries, uniting growers, exporters, designers, and flower enthusiasts in floral business conversations; a perfect blend of entrepreneurial spirit and floral artistry. The panel discussions for the Flowerpreneur Summit featured florist Mabel Maposa (South Africa), Alice Blush Events, Rosemary, and Lina Jamwa of the Kenya Flower Council.
A Garden Party That Redefined Floral Celebrations
The festival's grand finale, ‘Roses, Rosé & Roast,’ as noted, was a celebration of Kenya's floral heritage. It was an eventful session featuring flower shows, DIY arrangement workshops, live music, and delicious food and drinks.
At the magical DIY flower arrangement sessions, guests created delightful floral pieces under expert guidance. Professional florists led hands-on workshops, teaching participants advanced arrangement techniques while sharing insights about Kenya's diverse, bright, bold, and utterly charming flower varieties, which have made the country famous globally.
Attendees also reveled in the festival's unique lifestyle experience, enjoying gourmet roasts fresh off the grill paired with elegant rosé tastings. The culinary component enhanced this event, making it better than other traditional flower shows, which created an elegant outdoor dining experience that perfectly complemented the floral displays and the guests’ safari chic + pastel monochrome dress code.
Then Fashion Met the Flowers in the Wild
Building on previous years' Floral Couture traditions, KEFFLO 2025 also showcased an impressive array of floral fashion statements, featuring attendees embracing the happy florals, safari chic + florals, and the safari chic + pastel monochrome dress codes with creativity and flair. Many wore elaborate flower crowns created by Acacia Creative Studio and other designs by local creatives. The festival's fashion element showed how flowers can seamlessly integrate into contemporary fashion and style.
The Weekend Showcased Kenya’s Floral Scene and Natural Wealth in Their Raw Form
Rosemary, who is the Kenya Flower Festival organizer, emphasized how the event bridges the gap between Kenya's world-class flower production and local appreciation. She believes that the floral festival brings the beauty, business, and creativity aspects of flowers back home, an idea that this year's theme perfectly captured through the experience of Kenya's floral wealth in its most natural settings.
The 2025 Kenya Flower Festival, basically, succeeded in creating a magnificent event that was both educationally enriching and aesthetically delightful, faultlessly blending Kenya's wild, natural landscapes with its refined fashion and flowers. It offered participants everything from business insights to creative inspiration, all wrapped in the beauty of flowers in the wild and natural settings. This took the KEFFLO flower experiences and the Kenyan floral scene to newer heights. It set a standard for future editions while showcasing why Kenya remains a leader in both flowers and eco-tourism.
Kenya Flower Festival 2025 at a Glance:
- Theme: Flowers in the Wild
- Location: Nairobi National Park
- Guests: 300+ local and 21 international (UK, China, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania)
- Flower Power: Over 15,000 stems used across installations
- Creative Force: 20+ florists & designers
- Partners: 10 flower growers, 10+ brand & lifestyle partners
- Experiences: Flower farm tours, game drives, bush dinner, and floral couture
Some of the partnering companies for the event included Wafex Kenya, Interplant Roses, United Selections, Molo Greens, Tambuzi, Kisima, Flamingo Horticulture, Ole Engai, Vermont, Ball SB, and Red Lands Roses. Floral designs were done by Blush Events and Designs, supported by Acacia Creative Studio UK and Oakwood from Uganda.
Images by Kenya Flower Festival. Reels by @tendo_auko and Kenya Flower Festival.
