Drought has ravaged the livelihoods of pastoralist Maasai in Northern Kenya, whose food security has traditionally always depended on their livestock. Now an alternative has been introduced that is culturally and environmentally applicable, and is already showing signs of success: beekeeping.

Below an article published by Nation:

A pastoralist with a riches-to-rags story is now picking up the pieces in unfamiliar territory — beekeeping.

Larinkoi ole Kone, 40, lost all his livestock to an unforgiving drought. Two years ago, he owned 70 healthy head of cattle, but only three cows survived.

With his pride punctured and his treasured source of livelihood lost, a humbled Mr Kone has decided to switch to beekeeping. For the Maasai, the number of head of cattle defines wealth and determines the good life.

“Without animals, a man’s ego is really bruised,” Mr Kone said.

The debilitating effects of last year’s drought have forced him to swap the pastoral life for beekeeping to sustain his family of two wives and 10 children.

The farmer from Kilonito location in Kajiado Central District admits that the massive loss of livestock has humbled previously proud pastoralists, many of whom had owned hundreds of animals.

Previous efforts by the government and other development agencies to introduce new sources of livelihood to pastoralists often fell on deaf ears as the rich livestock owners frowned on many of these proposed alternatives.

Many pastoralists regarded beekeeping as beneath them and an activity meant for hunters and gatherers.

“Drought has changed all this, and we are now willing to try other activities to make a living,” Mr Kone says.

He is among the pastoralists who have embraced beekeeping without regret.

About a year ago he received two beehives from the Neighbours Initiative Alliance (NIA), a local NGO, and has already tasted the sweetness of honey production.

According to the Ministry of Trade, beekeeping is well established in Kenya and can be successfully carried out in about 80 per cent of the country; it is especially suited to semi-arid areas where other modes of agriculture are not viable. Kenyan apiculture has the potential to produce more than 100,000 tonnes of honey and 10,000 tonnes of beewax a year.

Although yields from the hives have not been as high as they could be because of the drought also affected nectar production, Mr Kone has been able to harvest about 16 kilogrammes of honey from each hive.

According to NIA head Kenny Matampash successive droughts have robbed local pastoralists of about 80 per cent of their livestock, leaving them food-insecure.