Kenya is experiencing a rapid decrease in bee populations, and environmentalists, scientists, and farmers are expressing concerns about the situation. Almost everything related to wild and managed pollinators has dropped sharply, and that cannot be good news for food production or biodiversity in the future.
With new data provided by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) along with independent conservation organizations, beekeepers around the country have reported colony loss exceeding 35% in the last two years. The Kenya Pollinator Initiative, an independent research initiative, estimates that the total number of wild pollinators, including native bees and butterflies, has declined by nearly 50% since 2010.
This decline is not an ecological issue, but an emerging economic and social crisis. Pollinators such as bees are essential for the production of many crops, from avocados to passion fruits, and from sunflowers to beans. When you lose pollinators, crop yields will fall, livelihoods will suffer, and food security in Kenya is at stake.
“We are seeing fewer bees in areas that up until just a few years ago, had bee and wild pollinator population levels that were abundant,” states Dr. Mercy Mwangi, a pollination ecologist from the University of Nairobi. “The absence is obvious—and the repercussions for agriculture are far larger than anyone can imagine.”
Research indicates that crops, such as avocados, have nearly twice the yield with pollinator services from bees. 75% of Kenyan food production is made up of insect-pollinated crops. While the horticulture industry in Kenya has expanded and is worth KSh157 billion in 2023, it is becoming increasingly vulnerable as it becomes more reliant on pollinators like bees and increasingly challenged as bee populations decline.
What is causing the population declines?
The insect declines are a result of a combination of human actions and climate-related stressors. The primary cause of declines is the overuse of pesticides, specifically neonicotinoids like imidacloprid and deltamethrin, which are commonly used in Kenyan agriculture. This class of pesticides causes nervous system issues for bees, which disorients, slows foraging, and ultimately kills.
“It is very little understood how toxic these pesticides are to non-target species like bees,” says George Karisa, a beekeeper and environmental advocate in Kilifi. “We are essentially poisoning our best allies to make agriculture succeed.”
Deforestation and urbanization are also primary causes of pollinator decline. In Kenya, forest cover has decreased by nearly 50% since the 1980s, leading to the loss of habitats for pollinators. As natural habitat decreases, bees increasingly struggle to find forage, particularly in dry seasons.
What’s more, climate change is compounding these impacts. Erratic rainfall patterns, increasing temperatures, and extended droughts are disrupting flowering patterns and limiting access to food for bees. Our 2024 research in Eastern Kenya revealed that beekeepers who provided water during drought conditions lost 10% fewer colonies than those who did not provide supplementary food and water. This frightening statistic illustrates how important climate adaptation has become.
Policy Vacuums and Calls for Change
Despite increasing evidence suggesting a pollinator crisis is on the horizon, Kenya still does not have a coherent national beekeeping policy. Environmental organizations indicate that the policy void has resulted in indiscriminate agricultural practices.
“We require urgent policy interventions,” says Naomi Kibet of the African Pollinator Conservation Foundation. “There are no recommendations for provisions to protect pollinator habitats, no restrictions on harmful pesticides, and no recommendations for effective, bee-friendly agriculture methods.”
On the international front, countries like France and the Netherlands are already restricting some neonicotinoids and investing in pollinator-friendly landscapes. Conservationists believe Kenya must act now if it hopes to avoid irreparable harm.
Grassroots solutions are starting to fill the policy vacuum. For example, in some communities near Tsavo National Park, farmers are using beehive fencing in order to deter elephants from eating their crops while at the same time providing pollination.
Training for farmer groups is promoting a shift toward staggered biopesticides and integrated pest management systems that protect pollinators. Educational campaigns are also being conducted by NGOs, like Greenpeace Africa, that encourage responsible farming practices and ecological balance in farming.
“We can turn it around,” says Karisa. “But we have to do it now before it is too late.”
Kenya’s pollinator crisis is more than a conservation issue; it truly is a national crisis. Without pollinators, food systems will collapse, agricultural economic gains will reverse, and biodiversity will collapse.
In order to create distance from this scenario, Kenya needs to commit to immediate and sustained efforts. It needs both regulatory reforms, ecological agriculture investments, and the protection of pollinator biological communities nationwide.
