Government, partners push for stronger investment in Kenya’s beekeeping sector

NDUTA NJOROGE-PCO

Apiculture is emerging as a key pillar in Kenya’s agricultural transformation, with stakeholders calling for increased investment and stronger policy support to unlock its full potential.

This follows an Apiculture Stakeholders’ meeting convened by the State Department for Livestock Development through the Directorate of Livestock Production, ahead of this year’s World Bee Day.

The forum placed bees at the centre of Kenya’s agricultural transformation and climate resilience agenda.

Bringing together policymakers, researchers, private sector players and development partners, the forum underscored a critical shift in perspective, noting that apiculture is no longer a peripheral activity but a strategic value chain with the capacity to drive food security, biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods at scale.

“Bees, often described as the ‘smallest livestock’, play a big role in underpinning agricultural productivity.

"A significant proportion of the food consumed globally depends on pollination, making the health of bee populations a matter of national and global importance,” said Principal Secretary for Livestock Development Jonathan Mueke.

In Kenya, national honey production is estimated at 19,000 metric tonnes against a demand exceeding 43,000 metric tonnes. This signifies a clear and immediate opportunity for expansion, value addition and import substitution.

Speaking at the forum, PS Mueke emphasized the urgency of strengthening the commercial orientation of the sub-sector.

He further called on industry actors to step forward in driving sectoral growth, noting that, the private sector is encouraged to take a leading role in driving innovation, value addition, and market development across the apiculture value chain.

Technical experts at the forum reinforced the indispensable role of bees across agricultural and ecological systems.

The Head of Apiculture Regina Ciira highlighted that beyond honey production, bees are central to fodder seed development, rangeland regeneration and the production of high-value hive products including beeswax, propolis, royal jelly and pollen.

She noted that effective pollination not only increases crop yields but also improves the quality of agricultural produce, while in natural ecosystems, bees contribute to forest regeneration, soil fertility and climate resilience, particularly in fragile dryland environments.

However, stakeholders raised concern over the growing threats to bee populations.

Environmental degradation, climate variability, pests and diseases, and the unsafe use of agrochemicals are increasingly undermining bee health.

These factors disrupt navigation, weaken immunity and reproduction, and degrade the flowering plants and habitats essential for their survival, they said.

The Principal Secretary for Agriculture Dr Kipronoh Rono urged stakeholders to support smallholder farmers and youth with access to modern equipment, improved bee colonies, training and market opportunities.

He added that sustained growth will depend on investments in research, innovation and technology, including climate-resilient bee species, modern hive systems and digital tools to monitor hive health and productivity.