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Kakuma Bee (Kakbee) Social Enterprise Limited
- Location: Kakuma Refugee Camp, Turkana County, Kenya
- Energy Solutions and Services: Solar-powered green hub for honey and fish production, beekeeping
- Thematic Areas of Focus: Aquaculture, regenerative agriculture, and agroforestry
- Website: www.kakbee.com
- Contact: avrilshabani14@kakbee.com
Kakuma Bee's Impact Story
Kakuma Bee Social Enterprise Limited is an agro-environmental initiative founded on the principle that environmental restoration and sustainable livelihoods can be mutually beneficial. Founded by Avril Ndambwe Shabani, a Congolese refugee and community leader, the enterprise operates in Turkana County, Kenya. After more than a decade of experience in translation, humanitarian work, and community development, Avril was determined to create a venture that would empower communities while tackling ecological decline. The vision for Kakuma Bee was born from this intersection and a desire to turn displacement challenges into regenerative nature-based livelihoods.
Refugees and host communities in Turkana County face multiple overlapping challenges. High unemployment, particularly among women and youth, limits economic independence. Environmental degradation caused by deforestation, overgrazing, and the rapid spread of the invasive Prosopis juliflora shrub has further reduced productivity. In addition, the harsh climate restricts farming, leaving communities vulnerable to food insecurity. Despite these challenges, the region holds untapped potential for sustainable livelihoods through beekeeping, aquaculture, regenerative agriculture, and agroforestry.
Kakuma Bee was created to harness that potential through an integrated approach. The enterprise has established more than 200 beehives, over 90% of which are colonized. In collaboration with Nara Climate Social Enterprise, Kakuma Bee is actively restoring degraded land through agroforestry while managing and reducing the spread of Prosopis juliflora. The inclusion of aquaculture and regenerative agriculture has created additional livelihood streams, contributing to food security and climate resilience.
Today, the enterprise creates jobs for refugees and host community members, especially women and youth, through honey production, aquaculture, and environmental conservation. Participants receive hands-on training in beekeeping, regenerative agriculture, market access and financial literacy, enabling them to build sustainable incomes.
Kakuma Bee’s journey has been supported by several strategic partners, including Ashden, Kenya Climate Innovation Center, WIDU Africa, DanChurchAid, and Nara Climate Social Enterprise. Most partnerships have focused on building capacity, providing technical mentorship, and strengthening community skills in production and enterprise management. A key milestone was the receipt of a grant from Ashden, which enabled the installation of a 15kW solar system to power the Kakuma Green Hub. This solar innovation transformed operations in two significant ways:
- Honey value addition: Solar-powered facilities now offer storage, processing, and packaging spaces, thereby reducing post-harvest losses and enhancing product quality and shelf life.
- Fish storage and market access: Solar-powered cold storage allows fish farmers and vendors to preserve and safely store their products, reducing waste, improving food security and opening new markets.
Success Factors
Kakuma Bee’s success stems from a combination of community trust, strong partnerships, and innovative design that integrates environmental and livelihood outcomes. The lived experience of its founder, Avril Ndambwe Shabani, a refugee, has ensured inclusivity, local relevance, and genuine community ownership. Support from international and local partners has provided crucial capacity building support technical training, and mentorship. Funding from Ashden to install the 15kW solar-powered Green Hub remains a game changer, solving post-harvest challenges while powering sustainable production systems that benefit both people and the planet.
Future Plans and Support Needs
Looking ahead, Kakuma Bee envisions expanding its integrated model to reach more households and communities across Turkana County and beyond. The enterprise plans to scale modern bee venom collection and packaging for international markets, increase the number of beehives. It also aims to diversify into value-added products, such as honey kombucha and natural cosmetics. Kakuma Bee seeks to strengthen food security and local incomes by expanding aquaculture and regenerative agriculture initiatives.
In parallel, Kakuma Bee intends to deepen its environmental impact through expanded agroforestry and Prosopis juliflora management programs to restore degraded land and biodiversity. A core focus of its future strategy is empowering women and youth through agribusiness cooperatives and Green Hub–based innovations.
To realize these ambitions, the enterprise seeks investment to procure modern equipment, additional solar-powered processing and storage facilities, technical expertise in aquaculture and regenerative farming, and strategic partnerships to expand market access, funding and training opportunities.
About the Founder
Avril Ndambwe Shabani is the founder and Managing Director of Kakuma Bee Social Enterprise Limited, an agro-environmental enterprise based in Turkana County, Kenya. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Avril was displaced by conflict and has lived in the Kakuma Refugee Camp for over 13 years. With more than a decade of experience in translation, community development, and humanitarian work, he has dedicated his efforts to creating sustainable solutions that promote environmental restoration and empower communities in displacement settings and arid and semi-arid regions.
