“The sweetness of the honey prompted me to start beekeeping to get honey for home consumption.”
The Life as Beekeeper
Who belongs to your family / who is living with you?
I am married and we have 5 kids so we are a family of 7.
How has beekeeping changed your life?
I am 70 years old and have a strong passion of keeping bees. 28 years ago, I started with only 2 beehives to get honey for home consumption. Today, I have 20 beehives. I have constructed a good shade where I have positioned my 20 beehives. I have both, traditional and modern Kenya top bar beehives. I am earning a living through sales of honey. Networking with many people is an activity I enjoy a lot.
How do you provide a good environment for your bees?
As I said, I have constructed a shade for my bees. On top of that, I have planted some trees for the bees to forage like coffee trees, calliandra trees, trumpet flower, and others.
What do trees mean to you and how can they be protected?
Trees means a lot to me. We get rain and soil is not eroded or washed away. From trees, we get medicine for treating different illnesses. We humans and our bees get good shade from the trees. Trees protect us against strong winds which can destroy our houses.
What is the most important thing in your life?
The key is having own land. With land, many things are possible.
What are your biggest challenges and how do you plan to overcome them?
There are many bee pests that disturb the bees, but I tried to minimize this challenge by constructing the shade and cleaning the apiary. I am using diesel oil on the stands and am inspecting my beehives regularly. I have no bee suit which limits me to inspect during daytime, but I am planning to b buy one from the income of the honey I sell.
What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I like taking a beer and relaxing.
Which place would you like to see once?
I would like to travel to London in England.