The quiet forests of Homa Bay came alive with diplomatic energy and the hum of bees on Sunday afternoon, as Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Livestock Development, Jonathan Mueke, led the visiting President of Slovenia, H.E. Dr. Nataša Pirc Musar, on a transformative tour of a community apiary tucked inside the Wire Forest.
With smoke rising gently from the hives and golden honey glistening under the afternoon sun, Mueke declared that empowering locals through beekeeping in gazetted forests is not just good policy—it’s a powerful pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
“Using gazetted forests through Community Forest Associations to boost bee populations and increase honey production is a true Bottom-Up Economic activity,” Mueke said, standing among rows of wooden hives managed by local youth and women.
“This isn’t theory. It’s real, it’s working, and it’s building livelihoods from the roots up,” he added, as he handed a spoonful of honey to President Musar, who smiled approvingly.
The visit underscored how strategic partnerships between conservation and rural enterprise can powerfully reshape local economies. The Wire Forest community apiary has become a model project, transforming a once-degraded forest area into a thriving center of environmental regeneration and economic productivity.
President Musar, a seasoned human rights and environmental advocate, praised the initiative for its bold vision and practical impact.
“What you’re doing here is beautiful. You are protecting your forests while creating wealth. This is a perfect example of sustainable development in action,” she remarked during the tour.
Under the Community Forest Association (CFA) model, local residents have been granted controlled access to sections of the forest for productive, sustainable ventures like beekeeping. The result? Dozens of jobs created, reforestation efforts intensified, and a new brand of honey—“Gold of Wire”—that is quickly gaining a reputation beyond the county.
Jonathan Mueke emphasized that beekeeping is a high-impact, low-cost livelihood that aligns with Kenya’s climate-smart agricultural vision.
“Bees don’t need subsidies. They just need a healthy forest, and in return, they give us honey, pollination, and economic empowerment. This is the very definition of Bottom-Up,” he explained.
The visit also signals Kenya’s deepening interest in leveraging ecological resources to meet economic goals—a move that could position the country as a regional leader in sustainable forest-based economies.
As the delegation wrapped up the visit, the symbolism of the moment wasn’t lost on the local community. In a forest once ignored, a new kind of hope is taking flight—on the wings of bees and the will of a people ready to “bee the change.”
