In the heart of Makindu, a small town in Kenya’s Makueni County, a sweet revolution is buzzing.
Bee Love Apiaries, founded by Jonesmus Wambua, has emerged as a beacon of sustainable agriculture, transforming traditional beekeeping practices and empowering local farmers.
The story of Bee Love Apiaries begins in 2017 when Jonesmus Wambua, inspired by his cousin’s visit, embarked on a journey that would change the face of beekeeping in the region.
His cousin gifted him three traditional beehives, marking the inception of Bee Love Apiaries.
Little did he know that this humble gift would lay the foundation for a remarkable enterprise that would not only produce high-quality honey but also educate and uplift local communities.
Wambua conducts workshops to educate farmers in various parts of the country.
“We reach farmers even beyond Makueni, in areas such as the Coast, Mount Kenya, Western, and the Rift Valley. Beekeeping is the foundation of sustainable living through agriculture,” explains Wambua.
Among the services offered by Bee Love Apiaries are identifying suitable locations for bee capture, setting up hives, managing bee projects, and purchasing honey from the farmers he has trained.
“I studied statistics in college, but due to my passion for agriculture, I delved into beekeeping. I advise others to join me because without bees, there would be no pollination, hence no food in the world,” Wambua tells Akilimali.
Jonesmus’ journey began by adopting traditional beehives for beekeeping.
This choice posed challenges during inspection and honey harvesting due to lower quality and the hives not lasting long.
“Today, we advise beekeepers to embrace modern techniques because traditional methods endanger the lives of bees and damage honey during harvesting using fire. Modern equipment enhances the honey’s value and preserves the bees,” he informs.
Bee Love Apiaries prefers Langstroth hives, which are of high quality and not affected by enemies like beetles, flies, spiders, and ants that consume honey.
Traditionally, the company’s workers harvest around 10 kilograms from each hive after six months to a year. Wambua has employed five workers.
During this period, this statistician processes one ton of honey he has produced along with what he buys from other beekeepers.
“We buy raw honey from farmers. We opted for training beekeepers and buying their honey to eliminate middlemen who exploit honey producers,” Wambua says.
Buyers obtain honey at 1 Kenyan Shilling per gram; hence, one kilogram of honey costs 1,000 Shillings and is sold nationwide, with the seller providing delivery services.
Additionally, Jonesmus sells hives to honey producers and accompanies them, providing a free booklet he created to record the production details of each hive and its surroundings.
“A short pencil is better than a long memory. With a thousand hives, you can’t remember all, so you must keep a record of the tree types, flower quantities, and blooming seasons,” Wambua emphasizes the importance of his education in this profession.
Every year, Bee Love Apiaries organizes four workshops to teach honey production techniques, charging 3,000 Shillings for each farmer to receive comprehensive training.
Those interested in starting are sold hives at 5,500 Shillings and are provided free installation services.
Wambua says that challenges arising from climate change and economic instability have significantly impacted his business. ]
He urges the Makueni County government to support such initiatives to help strengthen the industry.
