Meru County in a mission to exploit beekeeping

Meru County is undertaking a strategic mission to harness the economic potential of beekeeping across its 11 sub-counties. The County Cultural Centre, led by CEO Robert Kinyua, is collaborating with the National Research Institute to identify the most suitable areas for beekeeping and develop a research-driven implementation plan.
As part of this initiative, the county has already established pilot bee villages in each sub-county, installing 4,000 modern beehives per sub-county, totaling 44,000 hives. A training program for 110 potential bee farmers has been completed, with 10 of them appointed to manage sub-county bee villages and cascade knowledge to other farmers.
The county aims to have 10,000 beehives in each sub-county, with an expected yield of over 40 kg of honey per hive per harvest. This would translate to approximately 13,200 tons of honey annually, generating an estimated Sh.6.6 billion, given current market prices of Sh.500 per kilogram.
Beyond generating income, the program is expected to support horticulture and rain-fed crop farmers by reducing exploitation from middlemen, thus stabilizing farm produce prices and contributing to broader county economic growth.
Governor Mutuma M’Ethingia’s administration views beekeeping not just as an agricultural venture but as a strategic investment in livelihoods, sustainability, and local economic empowerment.