Why the Future Depends on Bees | Good Morning Kenya

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:02]Many thanks for still keeping us company right here on KBC Channel 1. You are watching Good Morning Kenya. My name is Mike Mbuvi. Welcome back to the show.

[00:00:11]And now I want us to talk about matters that relate to bees. Now, you know, in Kenya agriculture remains the backbone of our economy. And you know, there's there are indications that um there are declining bee populations within the country, which a great risk when it comes to honey production, uh also crop yields, and also environmental conversation. And that is why I want us to center our conversation today on why the future uh depends on the bees. There's a story that is carried on page [snorts] 22 of The Star newspaper.

[00:00:52]Kenya faces honey deficit, depends on imports. Uh Kenya is still unable to meet local demand for honey and other bee products, forcing the country to rely on imports from neighboring states.

[00:01:03]Uh stakeholders in the apiculture sector have said that will form part of the conversation that I am having with Dinah Bosibori Momanyi, who is a livestock production officer. Karibu sana. Thank you.

[00:01:15]>> How are you doing this morning? I'm good, and you? I am great.

[00:01:18]>> Mhm. You know, as a country we are facing honey deficit. Uh as according to the uh report that is carried on um on The Star, why do we do you think um we'll have we are having declining um bee population within the country?

[00:01:34]Our our bee populations are declining because of what you're doing as human beings, as Kenyans.

[00:01:42]Number one, we are destroying the natural habitats.

[00:01:46]>> Yes.

[00:01:47]There's a lot of deforestation going on in the country. And those are natural habitats for the bees. So, the populations automatically declining.

[00:01:55]Mhm. Number two, there is indiscriminate use of chemicals. Fine agriculture is good, but how do we use our chemicals?

[00:02:02]If they're not used wisely, we're killing our bee populations. Mhm. Yeah.

[00:02:06]>> Indiscriminate use of of chemicals. And there's something we were talking about off air, about when you know, when you're in the rural areas, you could hear a swarm of bees passing by.

[00:02:19]Uh which is something I really do not think is happening as much as it used to happen back then.

[00:02:26]Fine, it's it is happening, yes.

[00:02:29]But it has decreased.

[00:02:30]>> Mhm. When the populations decline, what happens?

[00:02:35]Our numbers have declined. So, the frequency at which the movement was happening is not happening. It's no longer happening. So, as a country, you should do something before we reach at that critical path where we'll not have food in this country.

[00:02:48]>> We should start now.

[00:02:49]>> We should start now.

[00:02:50]>> You work with with farmers. What is your role within that sphere?

[00:02:55]I am an apiculture expert.

[00:02:58]Uh previously, agriculture was um a national function. But after devolution, it was a devolved function.

[00:03:08]It being devolved, what we do as national government, we over we do capacity building and offering technical assistance [laughter] to the counties. What we do as national government, we do TOTs, training of trainers. We train counties, who in turn train farmers. So, we don't deal with farmers directly. Yes. But we train our officers at county level, who will in turn train farmers. When we get new technologies, research findings, we pass this information to the counties, who in turn pass it to the farmers. Yeah. In that interaction, are there misconceptions that you Kenyans may have when it comes to apiculture. Mhm. Are there any misconceptions that Kenyans may may have when it comes to beekeeping?

[00:03:57]>> Yes, there is. Some people believe people keep bees are doing it for witchcraft purposes in some regions.

[00:04:06]Like some parts of the coastal area.

[00:04:09]>> Mhm.

[00:04:10]Think areas around Matuga. When you tell people bees bees are good and people could tell you people keep bees are >> [laughter] >> they're doing it for witchcraft purposes. A lot of thing there is that fear, bee phobia.

[00:04:24]>> Mhm. People are scared of bees. But one thing I think I want to tell our viewers, they're just as friendly as you are.

[00:04:32]>> Mhm. It's only issues on how do you manage these bees for you to harvest what they have.

[00:04:37]>> Mhm. Yeah. And you know, um the world is set to mark the World Bee Bee Day this year and it's themed together for for people and the planet, a partnership that sustain us that sustains us all.

[00:04:53]What does this mean for farmers who who who have bees and have consumers of hive products? Mhm. I I want to start by saying that the World Bee Day is being celebrated all over the globe.

[00:05:10]>> Mhm.

[00:05:10]>> [clears throat] >> And around 2017, the UN declared for us to to create awareness about the role of bees in pollination and food food security issues.

[00:05:23]>> Mhm. So around 2018 as a nation, we started celebrating the World Bee Day.

[00:05:28]And I think as Kenya we've never skipped celebrating apart from 2020 when we had Corona.

[00:05:34]So it's something which has been going on. Mhm. So for this year the question you asked uh for farmers, for all of us it shows our our relationship.

[00:05:49]>> Mhm.

[00:05:50]with the bees.

[00:05:52]And it it makes us understand we've co- we've coexisted with bees since time immemorial.

[00:05:58]>> Mhm.

[00:05:59]And then for farmers, I want to see that these are um the most hardworking workforce, which is unpaid for by the farmers. Remember, >> bees do pollination services, >> Yes.

[00:06:12]which is key for the farmers.

[00:06:13]>> Mhm.

[00:06:14]And then research [clears throat] has shown that crop yields increases by around 30 to 40%.

[00:06:21]>> Mhm. with pollination. But for some crop like sunflower, the production may go higher to around 80%.

[00:06:28]>> Mhm. So, it means as a farmer, they're going to increase their yields. Mhm.

[00:06:34]That is number one.

[00:06:35]Number two, there is the products which they're going to get from the bees. So, even as you celebrate as the theme says of this year, it's good for the farmers because their yields are going to be increased. And for the consumers, when you purchase honey, when you purchase propolis, people think that from the hive, you only get honey.

[00:06:54]Yeah. But the other products. So, when people consume when they when a consumers purchase honey, when they purchase propolis, when they purchase beeswax, they're supporting a very delicate ecology. Mhm.

[00:07:10]In that, when they purchase these products, the farmer gets the money.

[00:07:13]Yes. But this farmer has to keep healthy bee populations. And when the bee populations are healthy, the pollination part is going to take place, and our food security issues are taken care of. Yeah.

[00:07:27]>> Does it also does the wild bee day encourage farmers to adopt um sustainable environmental practices? Of course, yes.

[00:07:39]Mhm.

[00:07:40]If if if we don't if we don't do If we don't sustain our environment, how will these bees thrive?

[00:07:51]As we celebrate the World Bee Day, what the message you're passing across is let's conserve our environment.

[00:07:59]Number one, we should avoid destruction of the natural habitats.

[00:08:04]We should stop using chemicals which kill our bees. And by the end of the day, we are conserving the bees. And remember, bees conserve our ecosystem.

[00:08:16]Yeah. Mhm.

[00:08:18]And when you look at the theme, it kind of speaks about partnerships.

[00:08:23]But are we doing enough to ensure that farmers, researchers, um policymakers, and markets are connected, or is the information Is there a breakdown of linkage within that area? Is the information in silos?

[00:08:43]Ideally, we should work as a partnership because there is no one individual who can conserve the bees.

[00:08:51]But somehow along the line, there is a a broken communication kind of That is where people are working in silos.

[00:09:02]Sometimes, the researchers may do some research. And this information, sometimes, it does not reach the farmers.

[00:09:10]Sometimes, the development partners are doing something which maybe the government is not doing.

[00:09:15]So, in an ideal situation, we should work as a partnership. A partnership is you gain something, I gain something.

[00:09:26]And the common goal is for the bee itself.

[00:09:32]Because if you're doing research on bees, I am training on bees. What are we doing? The major goal is we want to conserve this animal.

[00:09:41]Some people call it insect, but us in livestock we still call it an animal.

[00:09:45]Why? But it's an animal. That is where I'm from >> [laughter] >> from the livestock production part of it. Uh-huh. Yeah.

[00:09:52]And whatever it's doing it's for our own benefit. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:09:56]So ideally we should work together as a partnership for the betterment of the environment, for the betterment of the life of the bee. Yeah. This also translates to food security within the country. And when you look at the World Bee Day 2026, it's something that is marked as you put it globally, but why is it importance for important for countries like Kenya?

[00:10:24]I want to say that it's not only important for Kenya, but globally.

[00:10:29]Remember you said something on the decline of bee populations.

[00:10:33]It's not only happening in Kenya, but it's all over the world.

[00:10:39]Researchers are saying we are we are facing a situation called insect degona.

[00:10:46]Insect degona is a situation whereby the bee populations are the insect population are declining.

[00:10:53]And if they are declining, I want us to know that bees pollinate around 75% of the flowering plants.

[00:11:02]So when these populations decline, what happens to the pollination services?

[00:11:07]They decline.

[00:11:08]And when they decline, what happens to our food security? It's threatened. Let me come back to our country. Yes.

[00:11:15]Kenya is an uh agricultural country.

[00:11:18]>> Yes.

[00:11:19]Agriculture contributes to 22% of the gross domestic product.

[00:11:24]Sawasawa? Mhm.

[00:11:26]And it uh contributing 22% to the gross domestic product, it employs around 40% of the labor force.

[00:11:34]But look at our country. 80% is an is an ASALs, arid and semi-arid areas.

[00:11:39]>> Mhm. 80% And in these areas, crops do not perform well.

[00:11:45]But bees are very resilient. They do well in those areas.

[00:11:49]>> Mhm.

[00:11:50]Number two, as a country, we are facing issues of climate change.

[00:11:53]>> Mhm.

[00:11:54]The impact of climate change. There are times it's very dry.

[00:11:58]There are times when the rains come, the issues of floods.

[00:12:01]But in such situations, when crops fail, bees don't fail. At least we'll have a something. And this one can give some income to the farmer, and it will change the livelihood of the farmers. Mhm.

[00:12:13]Yeah. Also, you know, when you look at beekeeping, there's something about hive management. And which means hive management may contribute to the decline or increase of the bees.

[00:12:27]If you may handle that.

[00:12:28]Yes.

[00:12:30]Mhm.

[00:12:31]Ideally, people think if I have a hive and I place it somewhere, automatically I'm going to manage. I'm going to get some honey. But that is not the case. As For us to get milk, we have to do A, B, C, and D. Mhm.

[00:12:47]And for the bees, we say it's good for you to to do something we call inspection. Yes.

[00:12:52]And we while you're doing inspection, you want to check on how does how does that colony A colony is a group of bees in one Yeah. one hive. How is that colony behaving?

[00:13:05]Is the queen there? Is it laying?

[00:13:08]So, those are some of the the things which you do. And in hive management, you you have to check even the surrounding. What is happening in my surrounding? Mhm. I am a bee farmer.

[00:13:18]You're an agriculture farmer, and you're using chemicals. How does it affect my bees?

[00:13:27]As a good manager my colonies, I have to approach you and talk about how to use the same. When you're doing your hive management, how do you open your hive?

[00:13:37]>> Mhm.

[00:13:38]What type of smoke are you using?

[00:13:41]Because you use smoke when working with bees. Are you using a type of smoke which is going to kill the bees?

[00:13:47]Oh, there's a specific smoke that is There's some There's some kinds which you can't you don't use.

[00:13:52]>> Okay. Yeah.

[00:13:55]And some people use fire directly.

[00:13:57]So, when you're using fire directly, the traditional way of doing it, you're going to kill the bees. Is the DIY >> uh Is the DIY do-it-yourself kind of So, so the management aspect of um beekeeping is very key. Mhm. Yeah.

[00:14:12]And you know still on this day um who are the main stakeholders that you're bringing about you're bringing together um in these celebrations of uh World Bee Day?

[00:14:27]Uh I want to say that uh beekeeping is a partnership.

[00:14:31]>> Mhm. And we have very many stakeholders.

[00:14:34]Number one, I want to start with us.

[00:14:36]Number two, you have the Apiculture Platform of Kenya. Apiculture Platform of Kenya is a body that brings together all bee value chain actors, be it farmers, processors, and exporters.

[00:14:48]>> Mhm.

[00:14:49]Then you have researchers.

[00:14:52]We have farmers who are key. We have financial institutions. Yeah. Uh now um you know Mhm.

[00:15:02]how can farmers and community participate in these celebrations, and what benefits do they stand to gain from it? So, for like in this years, if you are in near in Mombasa, we welcome you to the ground. But for those farmers who are not and who cannot make it to Mombasa, you can do something small for the bees.

[00:15:22]Like you can plant trees.

[00:15:26]You can come together as a community.

[00:15:28]Let me say that if you're from Turkana, you can come together as bee farmers from Turkana, then [clears throat] exchange knowledge on what you're doing, the best management practices you're doing, how you're getting your products to to help other farmers. Remember we are saying beekeeping is a partnership. So, by sharing knowledge with one another, they can help each other improve that. Yeah.

[00:15:52]And if bee populations continue declining declining as we are talking about, what could that mean in terms of food prices, food security, in the near future?

[00:16:06]I I want to go back and say there is a scientist by the name Einstein.

[00:16:11]He said, "If um if all bees die, we cannot live for 4 years."

[00:16:17]So, what it means, if our bee populations are declining, our food security is threatened.

[00:16:26]Remember, bees do pollination.

[00:16:30]When they're doing pollination, number one, they increase the yield, the quantities of what we get.

[00:16:36]Number two, the quality of the food we get.

[00:16:39]And remember when these numbers are going down, what happens with our crops?

[00:16:44]And what happens to the quantities of food we get? It declines.

[00:16:48]And our populations are increasing as a country or as a world as at large. So, it means we are going to lack food, and we are going to die someday.

[00:17:02]Let's look at profitability of beekeeping.

[00:17:07]How is it How does value that value chain look like, especially for small holder farmers, women, and even youth groups?

[00:17:17]Number one, if there is an an investment what have investing in it's in apiculture.

[00:17:26]>> Reason number one, it requires low capital investment.

[00:17:30]>> For you to buy a good cow, how much does it cost?

[00:17:35]I'm asking you how much does a good cow A good cow?

[00:17:37]>> Yes.

[00:17:37]>> From 100,000 shillings.

[00:17:38]>> From 100,000.

[00:17:40]>> Yes. A cow that will give you good Yes.

[00:17:42]>> amount of milk. But with apiculture you you you need around 50,000.

[00:17:48]You'll buy around five hives. You buy the protective gear.

[00:17:52]And from one hive with good management you can get around 20 kilos of honey per season.

[00:18:02]And the per season I mean when it rains the plants do the flowering part of it.

[00:18:08]>> Mhm.

[00:18:09]Previously we used to say we have two seasons in Kenya. With climate change you cannot say. But in a year you can harvest around 40 kilos.

[00:18:17]So 40 times five hives 200 >> 200 >> Yes. At farm gate price in Kenya is around 500 shillings. So how much is that?

[00:18:29]Wow.

[00:18:31]And then Mhm. not only do you get honey you can get other products.

[00:18:35]>> Mhm. So compare that with from the dairy cattle. And the investment in feeding that cow as comparison to what the bees do. Because with the bees if you place them in the apiary they go out foraging so long as there are plants to forage from. So it's it's a low capital investment.

[00:18:52]Number two it's not labor intensive.

[00:18:57]You can do inspection once a month.

[00:18:59]>> Mhm.

[00:19:00]But how many times do you feed a cow?

[00:19:02]Mhm.

[00:19:03]Every day. Every day.

[00:19:05]Number three women and youth don't own land.

[00:19:11]True or false? Mhm. In our country. But they can do apiculture within the land which they do not own.

[00:19:19]Because they can convince their parents if that the youth Um if the lady can convince the can Convince. Convince the husband these bees are going to do pollination for the crops. At the end of the day, they're going to get something. Mhm.

[00:19:33][clears throat] Which will change their their lives.

[00:19:37]Mhm.

[00:19:38]And so many things which you can do which which you can get at the end of the day.

[00:19:42]Yes. After harvesting honey, depending on the type of hive you have you get other products which you can sell and make money. So for the youth, it's a good area which you can venture into.

[00:19:54]Yeah.

[00:19:55]>> Mhm. You some mentioned something about hive inspection. Mhm. For someone probably who has a hive or several of those Mhm. when you're doing hive inspection, what are you looking out for? What are you searching for? Number one you want to check on the condition of the colony.

[00:20:14]In a hive we have three types of bees.

[00:20:18]Mhm.

[00:20:18]We have the queen bee who does the laying. Mhm. We have the workers as the name suggests to go out bringing in the nectar, doing the defense part of it. And then we have the drones. Mhm. The The work is mating the queen which is done once. So when you're opening the colony, is the queen laying?

[00:20:36]If she's laying, how is the pattern?

[00:20:39]And if she's not laying, what should you do as a farmer?

[00:20:44]Number two, at if there is some you check if there is honey.

[00:20:48]And if if there is honey, at what stage?

[00:20:51]We don't go harvesting everything.

[00:20:53]We harvest only what is ripe. Mhm. And we check if there is the presence of pests.

[00:20:59]And as a farmer, you do something.

[00:21:01]>> Mhm. Yeah. What kind of pest affects bees? We have uh, small beetles. Mhm.

[00:21:09]We have wax moth.

[00:21:11]Sometimes you can get even, uh, snakes depending on where they are.

[00:21:17]You can get, uh, rats. So, you go inspecting and seeing, are my bees okay? Mhm. There those ones which the bees can defend themselves against.

[00:21:30]But there are those which they cannot do. Mhm. And sometimes, uh, you may get the some something died inside the hive.

[00:21:37]So, what the bees do, they propolize that.

[00:21:41]So, as a farmer, we we say when you're doing your inspection, you're checking what is inside the hive. You you should also clean that hive for the environment to be suitable for the bees. Mhm. Yeah. And that is all about hive inspection. Yeah.

[00:21:55]Um, you know, if something is to happen and secure the future, because as we are talking as we are saying, the future depends on, uh, bees.

[00:22:05]>> Mhm.

[00:22:06]Are there policies or actions that are needed from the government and communities to ensure that, um, they support agriculture and bee conservation? Yes.

[00:22:17]Number one, I think we need a very strict policy on the use of chemicals in this country.

[00:22:23]Mhm.

[00:22:25]Uh, it's good to use chemicals for some crops.

[00:22:30]But how do you use this?

[00:22:33]Remember, I've just said that indiscriminate use of chemicals has killed our bee populations. So, we should have strict regulations on that and strict enforcement.

[00:22:43]>> Mhm. Another issue, I think we have regulations on the quality standards of the bee products.

[00:22:50]But if you go all over the country, you'll get adulterated honey.

[00:22:54]>> Mhm. So, the enforcement part of it should enforced strictly so that people can consume >> Mhm. the right product. Mhm. Yeah.

[00:23:02]Number three, we should um uh the government should uh uh should ensure that the the national policies on apiculture are well coordinated with what is happening in the counties.

[00:23:20]As much as um agriculture is a county government, whatever happens in the county should be reflected whatever whatever the national government wants should be reflected in the county level in terms of conservation of the bees.

[00:23:33]For the farmers for the farmers, they should uh ensure that they conserve the environment.

[00:23:42]Because the environment is theirs and they want to get the product. So, they should ensure that the environment is well conserved.

[00:23:49]They should plant a few more trees for the future of the bees.

[00:23:54]>> And if you when you look at apiculture in general, are there bee products that have um highest export and commercial potential?

[00:24:04]I don't want to talk about export potential because all of them have.

[00:24:10]But I want to look at it in this way.

[00:24:14]What products do we get from the the hive apart from honey?

[00:24:18]I want to say that at farm level, at farm gate, what fetches the least amount is honey.

[00:24:27]Because you can get it around 500 shillings.

[00:24:30]We have um beeswax.

[00:24:34]After processing honey, whatever remains you process wax.

[00:24:38]This wax at farm gate price is around 650 shillings.

[00:24:41]And it's used for making um cosmetic products.

[00:24:46]You have another product called propolis.

[00:24:49]It's um the bees collect it from trees.

[00:24:53]The research has shown that it's an antibacterial and antiviral. At farm gate price, it ranges from 3,200 to 5,000 per kilo.

[00:25:04]We have a bee venom for apitherapy purposes. It is a country we've not ventured into east, but we have around two to three farmers who are doing it.

[00:25:17]And then you have the royal jelly.

[00:25:20]Royal jelly is good for us, for you and me, because we don't want to get grow old.

[00:25:25]I'm are you want to grow old? Well, time has a way of catching up.

[00:25:28]>> [laughter] >> But it makes you remain young.

[00:25:32]So that is another product which you can get from the hive. Yes. So it's a it's a it's a value chain which has immense potential.

[00:25:41]And if well nurtured, well taken care of, it can change the livelihoods of many Kenyans in this country. Yeah. Uh And finally, um in the long term, Mhm.

[00:25:51]are there actions that you think should happen to ensure that bees, the ecosystem, they support, um is well taken care of for the survival of future generations?

[00:26:04]Uh uh There is the program that the president has been doing of planting trees.

[00:26:09]>> Mhm.

[00:26:10]But I want to say that even as as they plant trees, they should consider trees that are bee friendly. Mhm.

[00:26:19]Bees get nectar from plants, but not every plant.

[00:26:23]So I think when each year we are planting trees, a certain percentage, if you are planting, let me say 100 100 um thousand trees, >> Yes. around 60,000 trees should be bee friendly.

[00:26:35]Because remember our discussion or the the the the issue of pollination, there's the issue of food. If these bees have got food to eat, it's good for you and me, Mhm. and it's good for this nation. And for a nation to be food secure, we need these bees. So, number one, the issue of tree planting.

[00:26:58]Number two, we should have a strategy as a nation on how to conserve this important animal.

[00:27:06]In that it should not be seen as the work of the government alone.

[00:27:11]It should be seen as the work of each one of us, starting from the the preschool children up to the policy makers.

[00:27:22]So, another thing I think apiculture should be introduced in schools at a lower age.

[00:27:29]That people children should know that bees do pollinate food plants, and that is what makes you to have what you are having. That even as these children grow up, they'll learn conservation issues of the bees. It should be introduced to universities. It should be at least each and every department in this nation should do something about bees. Should do something about conservation. And even to the farmers, I think they should move from the intensive chemical kind of farming to to to eco-friendly farming so that we can conserve our bees. Yeah.

[00:28:07]You said about this being introduced in schools and I the 4K club back in the day. But something.

[00:28:20]That should be part of the Yes, apiculture should be introduced early.

[00:28:24]I'm not saying that because I work in that industry, but because of the importance of that uh animal. Let me call it animal as I've been saying.

[00:28:34]I want to say as a country we talk about exports.

[00:28:38]There's the export of avocados and other things.

[00:28:41]But do you know what is behind that?

[00:28:45]The bees.

[00:28:45]>> The bees. For for good quality food, for good food quality fruits.

[00:28:52]It has to get a good pollination.

[00:28:55]For the shape and the quality of the oil.

[00:29:00]So [clears throat] we should we should we should promote it. It should be a talk of the day for each one of us so that this this we can reverse what is happening. Come 5 10 years down the line.

[00:29:15]If you don't do something about the bees as a nation we are going to starve. Talk to someone who has bees and those who plan on keeping bees and also to someone who does not even know why bees are important.

[00:29:29]To those who are keeping bees, please continue.

[00:29:34]And you are doing something good for this nation.

[00:29:38]You are changing livelihoods.

[00:29:40]For those who don't know, bees are very key for you the food which you eat at the table.

[00:29:46]And I want to specifically to talk to the youth and women.

[00:29:50]Our our livelihoods as women can change if we invest in apiculture. If we invest in beekeeping, because the small income which you are going to get from the products which you are going to sell, it's going to change your your household.

[00:30:07]It's going to change your life. Bees are going to help you pay school fees for your children. And I want to say for those who believe keeping bees is for witchcraft issues, it's a lie.

[00:30:22]For those who see bees as enemies, I want you to change and see that bees as friends which can give you food and which can change your life.

[00:30:32]Yeah.

[00:30:33]And that is Dinah Bosibori Mwania who is a livestock production officer talking to us about why the future depends on bees and I hope you have learned a thing or three right here on Good Morning Kenya. This is where this conversation ends. Good Morning Kenya continues shortly.