- The beehive workshop is located just behind Radat market. Here, old men with their tools work on dead wood logs.
- The prices for beehives range from Sh3,000 for a small one toSh8,000.
Baringo county is surrounded by captivating and breathtaking views ranging from valleys to mountains and water bodies.
One of the heavenly attractions within the county is a series of tiny hot springs oozing from the ground beneath a seasonal riverbed in Lake Bogoria.
The water is naturally heated to a temperature of between 36 and 38 degrees celsius.
In Radat market, Emining ward in Mogotio, residents believe that they have the best honey in the world.
“We have a diversity of indigenous trees that makes our honey the most nutritious in the whole world. We do not add any additives at all,” David Yator said.
They had to improve the log hive to allow bees to colonise it.
“Initially, the log hive used to be a whole log that was dug and smeared with wax before being taken to the top of tree. The old men who make the bee hive have since improved. We have a queen's excluder side that has increased the amount of honey harvested, which means the livelihood has also improved because the more honey, the more money,” Yator said.
The modified log hives help control heat. “Modern beehives are very hot. Bees do not colonise them.”
The beehive workshop is located just behind Radat market. Here, old men with their tools work on dead wood logs.
The prices for beehives range from Sh3,000 for a small one to Sh8,000.
To ensure that the log hives are productive, those that need to be repaired are also fixed.
Yator said having a queen excluded ensures that all the honey is harvested from the other side of the beehive.
“When you exclude the queen, you harvest the whole honey from the other side because there are no young bees.”
Baringo is one of the largest counties in the country, covering 11,075 square kilometres.
It, however, has a relatively small population compared to other counties.
The county is divided into seven sub-counties: Baringo South, Mogotio, Eldama Ravine, Baringo Central, Baringo North, Tiaty West and Tiaty East.
It is predominantly inhabited by the Tugen, a Kalenjin subtribe.
Minority ethnic groups comprise the Ilchamus (a Maa-speaking community) in the South, Pokots, Endorois, Kikuyus, Turkanas and Nubians.
The population is mainly concentrated in the highlands and urban centres.
The arid parts of the larger Tiaty, including parts of Baringo North, Marigat and Mogotio, are sparsely populated.
The county is classified as arid and semi-arid.
Most parts are arid, except Koibatek subcounty that is in a highland zone.
Most of these arid and semi-arid zones are covered by acacia trees and shrubs.
Rainfall ranges between 300 mm and 500 mm, decreasing from south to north.
Beekeeping is common in various parts of the county. Within Radat, the activity has gained traction.
“Women are not allowed to sit on beehives,” Yator said, adding that it is taboo.
Honey is respected and beekeeping has helped community members earn a living.
Rachemo Honey Marketing Cooperative Society director Faith Changwony said her group was established in 1996.
“The founders of the society mobilised other beekeepers to come together as a common interest group to do beekeeping as a business to generate extra income from the sale of honey and its products to reduce poverty,” Changwony said.
Rachemo is the combination of the villages Radat, Chepnyorgin and Molok, where the founder members come from.
The cooperative is managed by a seven-member board of directors and three supervisory committees.
She said the management and members have benefited from training opportunities offered by local and international organisations.
The society produces honey and other products. The honey is sourced from its 84 members before it is processed, packaged, branded and labeled before it is sold to customers.
“We sell pure natural acacia honey,” Changwony said. One kilogramme goes for Sh700.
The honey has been certified and issued with permits, certificates, and licenses by institutions such as the Kenya Bureau of Standards, GSI-barcode, county public health and county government.
The society secured it's refining machine from the Kenya Industrial Research Development Institute through a loan facility of Sh1.5 million, which was repaid from raw honey delivery.
Members have shares of between Sh10,000 and Sh50,000. At the end of each year, they get dividends.
They have increased beehives from the initial 600 to 1,200, a move that has increased honey production from two tonnes to seven.
There is one outlet for selling pure honey at the processing facility.
Each farmer is promptly paid for his or her honey on delivery.
In February 2018, the society participated in an international exhibition in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Despite the success, they have challenges including the harsh climate in lowland areas of the county, as well as the lack of knowledge and skills of some farmers to embrace beekeeping using modern technology as a business.
Changwony said society is also in need of modern beekeeping equipment to improve value addition.
Baringo County Conservancies Association CEO Susan Jepkemoi said her organisation will work closely with the community to build their capacity.
Jepkemoi said the county has untapped opportunities that can enhance the livelihoods of the local community.
BCCA acts as a collective voice for conservancies and advocates favourable policies, building local capacity and providing a platform for collaboration.
The Nature Conservancy supports BCCA to ensure that conservancies and landscapes are well managed and well funded.