Effects of Covid 19 in Kitui County, Kenya

Alphonce Mumo Kasimu, Kitui, Kenya

In eastern Kenya, beekeeping is an important part of the Kamba Community’s livelihoods. The Community is known worldwide for its wood carving. This process has been used to carve log hives designed to be extremely weather resistant. Unlike in the past when the Akamba people practised beekeeping for subsistence, the trend is now towards making beekeeping an economic activity to supplement livelihoods.

Kitui County has over 5,000 beekeepers with 30,000 log hives. Some individuals and groups have started using frame hives and top-bar hives. The Covid-19 pandemic was first reported in Kenya on 12 March 2020. Within days infections were increasing and the government introduced measures to curb the spread. Schools were closed indefinitely, working remotely from home in some sectors and others closed, all public gatherings were banned, social distancing measures and cessation of travel were introduced. Although these measures worked in preventing the spread of the disease, they spelt doom to village beekeepers as their main market is with urban dwellers across Kenya. Their supply route was immediately cut: middle men who bought their honey at the local markets and transported it to the bigger towns could not travel due to the restrictions. They could not continue buying honey from the beekeepers as it was not known when travel restrictions would end, and as small-scale buyers, they could not hold stocks for long. The few who were financially stable enough to continue buying did that, but at reduced prices, and only until May. With all public gatherings suspended, beekeepers working in groups, youth groups, women’s groups, associations and community-based organisations were in limbo. Major decisions taken at groups meetings did not happen and operations stagnated until late August when some meetings could resume. When the travel restrictions to the villages were lifted in late July, things did not return to normal as expected, because of the poor financial situation of almost all those within the honey value chain. With social distancing on public transport, and the need for the transport operators to break even, saw fares almost double as public vehicles carrying capacity was halved to ensure social distancing. Many were stopped from going back to their usual way of operating. Rural areas stigmatised those who travelled from the major towns, due to the belief that Covid-19 first came to the capital city, then to other towns, and finally to rural areas. In some cases, people from towns were openly avoided in the rural areas: this further hindered a recovery for the beekeeping sector. Training

Alphonce checks a log hive

The honey bee colony is visible inside this log hive

programmes and follow-ups did not take place because most of the trainers come from urban areas. With supply channels cut, there were fewer buyers and low prices. For many beekeepers and middle men their livelihoods were financially disrupted. The honey packaging companies were affected with employees forced to work shifts and others on unpaid leave. From the top down, everyone in the honey value chain was negatively affected by the situation. By mid-October I was permitted to travel to one of the villages and I met 15 representative beekeepers. It was evident from our discussions that Covid-19 has had a devastating effect.

Drop in revenue

All 15 beekeepers experienced loss of revenue from beekeeping, mostly due to the travel restrictions enforced between March and August. Their main buyers, who transport honey to cities and urban areas, supply to packing industries and alcohol brewing, were not able to operate. Hotels, bars and restaurants were not operating, further constraining the honey market space. The beekeepers could sell only to their immediate neighbours, and at much lower prices than selling to customers in the cities.

Drop in production

Ten out of 15 beekeepers experienced a drop in output, largely associated with a delay to harvest time because groups could not meet to make important decisions about harvesting. Beekeepers living outside the villages, especially young people working in urban areas and running apiaries in villages, were not allowed to travel for harvesting.

Drop in demand

Thirteen out of 15 beekeepers experienced a reduced demand for their honey and other bee products, with six experiencing over a 50% decline in demand. These beekeepers were those selling mostly to specific outlets and middle men, who then had to source alternative selling avenues within the local community. Those beekeepers who experienced less of a decline in demand had diversified market channels within local markets, and communities within villages.

Conclusion

Beekeeping across the country has been devastated, with serious market and price drops. Incomes have been lost and livelihoods threatened. Beekeepers could not sell their products while consumers were forced to change their consumption behaviour. Against all these negatives there is good news with an increase in the number of apiaries in villages. Within the eastern region in Embu, Kitui, Machakos, Makueni and Tharaka counties, which are predominantly beekeeping zones, several youths have begun beekeeping. With the near closure of economic activities in urban areas many people returned to their rural roots. We will continue to monitor whether they will sustain their activity and whether this will culminate in increased production of honey and other bee products. Several honey suppliers and enlightened beekeepers (including myself) moved to e-commerce marketing their honey and other bee products on different online platforms. The need to support and sustain the positivity coming out of the pandemic will be of essence for livelihoods to be sustained in the beekeeping sector.