In Pictures

Dripping Gold: On the Hunt for Honey in Kenya

Kenya is not very famous for its honey, but a group of small-time traditional producers hope to change this reputation.

Philip Kipyertor, 41, and Joseph Kipkoshoni, 70, check their beehives in Marigat, Kenya. [Berta Tilmantaite/Transterra Media/Al Jazeera]

26 Mar 2016

Marigat, Kenya – Agnes Cheptepkeny motions towards her small tin house where two of the rooms from floor to ceiling are filled with bucketfuls of honey. “This is my bank” she says.

“When I have money, I buy honey. This is how I save up. And when I need cash, I can sell a bucket or two,” tells Cheptepkeny, 53, whose one bucket of honey is worth about $89.

She lives in a town of Marigat, in Baringo County, in the Rift valley. Communities from the Tugen, Ilchamus, and Pokot tribes live here. They are known for their beekeeping and the good quality honey they produce.

Cheptepkeny is from the Tugen tribe and has been selling honey for a long time.

Kenya is not very famous for its honey. Ethiopia and Tanzania are places where the largest amounts of this liquid gold is collected. But the natural landscape in Kenya is similar so beekeeping thrives here as well. Producers are considering avenues for exporting more honey, although they are still becoming familiar with and working to adapt new technologies.

Lack of business knowledge and diminishing interest from younger generations to maintain the beekeeping traditions, as well as the threat of parasites and pesticides used in agriculture, climate change, an unorganised market, and undeveloped infrastructure pose further challenges for their goals.

A traditional log beehive in the garden where Philip Kipyertor and Joseph Kipkoshoni harvest honey. [Berta Tilmantaite/Transterra Media/Al Jazeera]

By torchlight, Philip Kipyertor harvests honey from a beehive hanging high in a tree. People produce honey for consumption, because it's high in energy and is used as a sweetener and as a medicine. The honey and beeswax is also sold to earn a little extra money. In some communities it is still used as part of a bride's dowry. [Berta Tilmantaite/Transterra Media/Al Jazeera]

A bee clings to a freshly freshly harvested honeycomb. [Berta Tilmantaite/Transterra Media/Al Jazeera]

Agnes Cheptepkeny, 53, in her room, stocked with buckets of honey. [Berta Tilmantaite/Transterra Media/Al Jazeera]

The roadside market in Marigat, Kenya. [Berta Tilmantaite/Transterra Media/Al Jazeera]

Philip Kipyertor and his wife work as shoemakers in Marigat. When beehives are full, he goes to harvest honey and sells it at the market it to add to family budget. [Berta Tilmantaite/Transterra Media/Al Jazeera]

Agnes Cheptepkeny and her son process the honey. 'This is my bank,' says Cheptepkeny , pointing to honey buckets. When she needs cash, she buys honey, processes it and sells it on. [Berta Tilmantaite/Transterra Media/Al Jazeera]

Cheptepkeny waits for customers by her honey kiosk in Marigat market, Kenya. Agnes has started a certification process. Once her honey is tested and confirmed to meet quality standards, she can label the jars and start to distribute it to markets and export it. [Berta Tilmantaite/Transterra Media/Al Jazeera]

Marigat is a fast-growing town lying in Baringo County, in Kenya's Rift Valley. This area is home to the Tugen, Njemps and Pokot communities, famous for their honey. [Berta Tilmantaite/Transterra Media/Al Jazeera]

Agnes Cheptepkeny, Philip Kipyertor and Joseph Kipkoshoni taste freshly harvested honey in Marigat's market. [Berta Tilmantaite/Transterra Media/Al Jazeera]