Oserian Development Company

Oserian Development Company Limited is a Kenyan floriculture pioneer and historically one of the largest flower growers and exporters in East Africa. Founded in 1969 by Dutch WWII marine Hans Zwager when he purchased a 5,000-acre cattle ranch on the shores of Lake Naivasha (including the famous "Djinn Palace" modelled on a Seville mansion). Initially operated as a vegetable and cattle farm, Oserian pivoted to cut-flower production in 1982 starting with statice, then expanding into roses, carnations, and other cut flowers. At its peak the company produced approximately 350 million stems per year and employed nearly 5,000 people on a farm covering over 5,000 acres. Oserian pioneered the use of geothermal energy from nearby Lake Naivasha hot springs for greenhouse heating, carbon-dioxide enrichment, and power generation, and runs a 7,280-hectare wildlife sanctuary on part of the estate. The name "Oserian" comes from the Maasai word "serian" meaning "to be at peace". Following restructuring, the farm is now operated under Bohemian Flowers Limited ownership. Oserian's integrated commercial model (in-house breeding, Airflo airfreight, World Flowers Ltd marketing) helped seed much of the modern Kenyan flower industry.