Evaluating Workers’ Wages, Welfare, and Unmet Expectations in Kenya’s Cut Flower Industry

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between wages and workers’ welfare expectations in Kenya's burgeoning cut flower industry, which accounts for approximately 70% of the country's flower exports. Despite significant growth in the industry, concerns have been raised about labor exploitation and persistent inadequate compensation among the workers. This study utilized a comparative survey research design to collect primary data from 358 workers in the industry in Naivasha, Thika, and Nanyuki regions. The study was guided by Marxist theory which shows the struggle between the workers in the industry and owners of the flower farms. The findings revealed that although majority (82.4%) of workers adhered to the legal eight-hour workday, wage disparities between agricultural and the non-agricultural sectors remained pronounced, with agricultural workers earning significantly less. Notably, only 19% of the workers engaged in supplementary income-generating activities, countering assumptions of widespread economic strain. A moderate positive correlation (r=+0.35) between wages and overall welfare indicates that wage increase alone was insufficient to enhance living standards. This research highlights the urgent need for comprehensive labor reforms, emphasizing the state's role in enforcing wage regulations and protecting workers’ rights. By addressing wage disparities and ensuring fair compensation of workers, the study underscores the necessity of aligning the wages in agricultural sector where cut flower industry is located, with wages paid to workers in the general economy whose package is much higher. The harmonization of wages of workers in the agricultural sector and workers in the general economy by the state will not only fill in the current existing wage gap but it will also go a long way in addressing injustices associated with wage disparities in different sectors of the economy in Kenya.