Stories

FIELD INTERVIEW

The Beekeeper’s Truth: Lies, Honey and the Buzz Behind the Business

Many journalists pride themselves on their ability to make anyone talk—sometimes revealing secrets they would not even tell their spouses. I considered myself one of them. That is, until I met Ernest Simeoni.

We arrived at his office in Nairobi’s Industrial Area at 8:45 a.m. for a 9:00 a.m. interview. We did not start rolling until 11:00 a.m. Why?

First, my cameraman faced the near-impossible task of setting up in a tiny, cluttered four-by-two-metre office. The space was packed with products, equipment, decorations, files and what appeared to be an archive of the Nilotic communities of East Africa.

Yet somehow, amid everything, there was still room for a hive of live, buzzing bees—real bees—freely entering and leaving through an open window overlooking the industrial go-downs and hopeful job seekers below.

Second, I had to convince Ernest that I was not another journalist chasing a quick, feel-good story. I was genuinely interested in understanding beekeeping.

Ernest is the managing director of African Beekeepers Limited, a company that manages bees and produces modern beekeeping equipment. With three decades of industry experience, he understands beekeeping from the hive to the market—and believes the media rarely tells the complete story.

AN INDUSTRY REALITY CHECK

“Beekeepers? We’re Professional Liars”

“Beekeepers—we’re professional liars,” Ernest says with a chuckle. “People exaggerate everything: the number of hives they manage and the honey they produce.”

He argues that some industry players, particularly equipment suppliers, present an overly optimistic picture to attract development organizations looking to fund sustainable livelihoods in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid regions.

Journalists can also contribute to that picture. They are often drawn to successful outcomes without examining the challenges, patience and management behind them.

Ernest began ABL with what appeared to be a straightforward plan: purchase honey in bulk from farmers, package it and export it to the United States and Europe.

The reality was considerably more difficult. Instead of becoming an immediate goldmine, beekeeping developed into a long-term labour of love—one that delivered experience and knowledge more consistently than quick financial returns.

One of Ernest’s most important lessons is that successful beekeeping is not simply about installing hives. It depends upon healthy ecosystems, practical management and sustainable harvesting.

“I think we need to redefine beekeeping in this country,” he says. “What we have is honey hunting. Beekeeping is about managing bee colonies—no destruction and no killing of bees.”

QUALITY AND PRODUCTION

Revolutionizing the Honey Business

To address poor harvesting practices, Ernest and the ABL team developed a more structured production system. Farmers receive modern hives fitted with framed combs made from natural beeswax at ABL’s Industrial Area workshop.

The farmers are trained to care for their colonies, manage their hives and protect the surrounding environment. This system also gives ABL greater control over the quality and traceability of the honey being produced.

When the honey is ready, ABL collects the filled frames and replaces them with empty ones. The capped honeycombs are then transported to Nairobi for processing.

“We only buy honey that’s capped,” Ernest explains while holding up a sealed honeycomb. When bees finish filling a comb, they reduce its moisture content and seal it with wax. That natural seal shows that the honey is mature and ready for harvesting.

Ernest also challenges the commonly used expression “refining honey.”

“Honey is refined by bees in the hive. All we do is extract it and put it into a bottle. That is the value addition—taking it from the comb and placing it in the jar.”

PRESERVING THE COMB

Helping Colonies Produce More

Unlike destructive harvesting methods, ABL’s extraction process preserves the comb so that it can be returned to the hive.

This matters because some flowering plants produce nectar for only two or three weeks. If the comb is destroyed, bees must spend that limited period rebuilding wax structures instead of producing honey.

Returning intact combs allows the colony to resume production quickly. Under favourable conditions, this can support two or even three harvests within a productive season.

SUSTAINABLE BEEKEEPING

A Model for the Tana Delta

This approach led to ABL’s participation in the Tana Greenheart Project, an initiative supported by Nature Kenya to promote sustainable livelihoods and conservation in the Tana Delta.

The delta’s biodiversity offers considerable potential for high-quality and distinctive honey. Different flowering plants produce honey with different colours, aromas and flavours.

Ernest believes this natural diversity can provide an important market advantage because international buyers increasingly value traceable honey with distinctive floral characteristics.