School Teacher Thrives In Bee Keeping

School Teacher Thrives In Bee Keeping

Murang’a teacher who also keeps bees in the Kiria-ini area of Murang’a County is doing well with his apiculture venture.

“Besides being a teacher by profession, I also practice beekeeping,” said Njuki, adding that his passion in apiculture stemmed from his late father who was an expert at beekeeping.

Paul Njuki, 58, revealed that he has been interested in beekeeping since he was a child and that as he grew older, he knew he would pursue it.

According to Njuki, he learned how to keep bees from his late father, a highly experienced beekeeper who made a living off of it and was able to educate him and his siblings with the money he earned from selling honey.

“Whenever my father went to harvest honey from the beehives, he kept, he would bring along my brothers and I, and taught us more about beekeeping,” said Njuki.

Njuki observed that many people are currently struggling financially and relying solely on one source of income to support their family and live a comfortable life.

“I cannot depend solely on the salary I earn from being a teacher and therefore beekeeping has helped me in having an alternate source of income from the sale of honey,” he said.

Njuri stated that when he began his beekeeping practice ten years ago, he only needed a small amount of capital because he had the expertise of setting up the beehives without the assistance of others, and the money he used was quickly repaid.

“I built my beehives by myself and I only need money to buy materials such as wood and nails,” he recalled.

Njuri charges Sh250 for a bottle of 250ml honey and sells about fifty jars per month.

He admits that, like any other business, beekeeping has its challenges, and that bee-eater birds have interfered with his venture over the years.

“I started beekeeping 10 years ago and bee-eaters have over the years harmed the bees by eating them while others flee out of their beehives causing reduction of bees,” Njuki said.