By Eddah Waithaka
A transformative new partnership officially launches today in Laikipia County, moving smallholder beekeeping from a subsistence activity into a structured, market-driven enterprise that puts money directly into the hands of rural women.
Savannah Honey Ltd and 30 women’s producer groups from Laikipia sign a five-year partnership agreement under the Nurture Project, implemented by Swisscontact and funded by the Wyss Academy.
This market-based system links smallholder producers directly to modern inputs, technical expertise, and reliable markets—shifting beekeeping into a viable, income-generating business.
A Market-Based Solution Hits the Ground
Laikipia faces increasing climate pressure. Drought cycles and unpredictable rainfall threaten traditional livelihoods like livestock and rain-fed agriculture. Rural women also battle limited access to land, finance, and formal markets. This partnership changes that equation immediately.
“This partnership reflects a shift from supporting activities to building systems that work,” says Sharon Mosin, Country Director, Swisscontact. “Through the Nurture Project together with Wyss Academy, we facilitate partnerships that enable women to participate in functioning markets, ensuring livelihoods sustain themselves beyond the life of the project.”
Private Sector Locks in Market Certainty
Savannah Honey brings the critical missing piece, market certainty and technical quality assurance.
“We see significant potential in this partnership. Strong local and international markets exist for a wide range of bee products,” says James Kimathi, Head of Partnerships and Marketing at Savannah Honey. “By working with these women’s groups, we equip them with the skills to produce higher volumes of consistently high-quality products. This enables us to meet growing market demand for reliability, traceability, and quality, creating sustainable income opportunities for producers while strengthening our supply chain.”
Women Move from Subsistence to Enterprise
The partnership’s co-investment model enables women’s groups to build ownership of production assets while receiving catalytic support through the Nurture Project. The approach supports a transition toward commercially viable micro-enterprises anchored within an integrated value chain.
Producers receive:
· Structured production systems
· Ongoing technical training and mentorship
· Guaranteed and predictable market access
Beyond honey, producers expand into higher-value bee products such as beeswax, propolis, pollen, and royal jelly, unlocking diversified income streams.
Jacinta Mungambo, chairlady of one of the participating groups, feels the change immediately.
“We have always kept bees as a source of livelihood,” Mungambo says. “Now, we have access to training, better equipment, and a reliable market. We are learning how to produce higher-value bee products that can significantly increase our income. With this support, we feel confident that our work will translate into steady and sustainable earnings.”
Climate-Resilient Livelihoods Take Flight
Beekeeping offers a practical, climate-resilient solution in vulnerable regions. It requires minimal land, supports biodiversity through pollination, and provides diversified, year-round income opportunities. By embedding production within a functioning market system, the partnership strengthens both economic resilience and ecological sustainability.
A Scalable Model for Kenya’s ASAL Regions
Beyond Laikipia, this partnership demonstrates how smallholder systems can transition from fragmentation to structured, market-based value chains. The model aligns with Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and national climate priorities, offering a replicable blueprint for Arid and Semi-arid (ASAL) counties.
The message is clear: sustainable rural development depends on functioning markets, strong local enterprises, and active private sector participation, where women move from beneficiaries to drivers of economic growth.
