• Wanyoike started with two hives and gradually increased them to 20.
• She is now a beekeeping champion in the region, attracting numerous farmers and groups seeking training at her home.
Image: FILE
The practice of beekeeping dates back many years, with research confirming honey has many nutritional and medicinal benefits.
There is a huge market for honey, locally and internationally, and despite the government urging more Kenyans to take up beekeeping, honey production has been declining.
Mary Wanyoike and her husband have been keeping bees for many years.
The two, who live in Kiambaa, Kiambu county, started with two hives and gradually increased them to 20. They now produce honey commercially.
Wanyoike said the journey has not been easy but they have been greatly helped by the Community Support and Development Programme (COSDEP), which provided crucial training.
COSDEP is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to the restoration and enhancement of household food, nutritional and income security in Central Kenya.
Wanyoike said nearly half of her 20 beehives were supplied by the organisation.
She said they also taught her how to make beehives using locally available materials, significantly reducing her expenses.
“COSDEP has also equipped me with a centrifugal machine for processing harvested honey. I am thankful the training and support they have given me has made me impart the same knowledge to other farmers and specifically to five groups here in Kiambaa,” Wanyoike said.
She is now a beekeeping champion in the region, attracting numerous farmers and groups seeking training at her home.
COSDEP and the Institute of Collaborative Engagement regularly refer groups and individuals to her for training as she has become an expert.
Her products have received certification from the Kenya Bee Research Institute, who have also trained her.
In collaboration with Philadelphia group members, Wanyoike has established a honey shop at Githunguri shopping centre.
“This shop serves as a platform for all members of our group to sell their honey,” she said.
Wanyoike said she is committed to agroecology farming, which she said is chemical-free and a good environment where her honey is produced, thus a key factor in its popularity.
Despite high demand, Wanyoike acknowledges their production is still insufficient but attributed the popularity of their honey to its chemical-free nature.
In 2021, Kiambu county aggregated 28.6 tonnes of raw honey and is providing training on bee management, honey harvesting and candle making.
In 2022, there was a drop in honey aggregation to 12.4 tonnes, but membership increased to 855.
COSDEP field officer Caren Wekesa hailed Wanyoike for being a role model in bee farming.
“Our bee farming training and benchmarking activities that are conducted at Mary’s farm have not been in vain. We are also supporting her enterprise by providing packaging materials,” Wekesa said.
Wanyoike sells her honey at Sh800 for a one kilo tin.
According to experts, beekeeping is one of the climate-smart farming activities, which can boost farmers income and improve the country's economy.
Kenya Agricultural Livestock Research Organisation director general Eliud Kireger said, “Apiculture is an important value chain in Kenya as it earns farmers about Sh4.5 billion per year."
He said the country produces about 14,000 tonnes of honey and 140 tonnes of bees wax but has a potential of 100,000 tonnes of honey and 1,000 tonnes of beeswax.
"The country’s demand is about 30,000 tonnes and therefore the shortage of 15,000 is imported," Kireger said.
He said the overall honey production has increased by around 1,000 tonnes but with new technologies coming up, they expect further increase.