In the blistering heat of Wajir’s dry plains, where dust swirls and thorny acacia trees cast slender shadows against the backdrop of the majestic Malabar Hill — popularly known as Lion Hill — Mohamed Hassan Omar walks purposefully across a savannah dotted with behive-laden acacia trees. He is not just checking for honey; he is checking on hope — hope that hums and buzzes from every colony of bees he has nurtured.
At just 26, Mohamed is no ordinary farmer. He is a climate-smart agriculture champion, an environmental conservationist and an award-winning beekeeper who is turning Wajir’s arid terrain into a literal hive of opportunity.
“My childhood was defined by drought. I watched helplessly as our cattle died and our livelihoods vanished,” he says, recalling growing up in Bute, Wajir County. “That pain pushed me to seek alternatives. That’s how I found farming and later, beekeeping.”
Mohamed first dipped into the world of beekeeping through the President’s Award Kenya (PA-K) while at Alliance High School. He chose it as a skill at 16, but only started practicing actively at 18 after finishing high school. With little to no resources, he turned to YouTube and online platforms to learn the delicate craft.
“I began with 10 traditional hives,” he says, smiling. “Today, I have over 120 modern hives. And we do everything, from harvesting to branding and packaging our own honey right here in Wajir.”
His farm, a family venture named Megan Farms, is now a fully-fledged agribusiness that empowers over 40 young people and women in the community. Four of them work full-time in the apiary section, nine are engaged in administrative and production roles, and around 30 others serve as casual labourers.
But Mohamed’s impact extends beyond bees. He is also reclaiming drylands through crop farming, with an impressive 40-acre parcel under cultivation. The land is planted with maize, green grams, and cowpeas — resilient crops selected for their ability to thrive in the region’s harsh climatic conditions. His goal is not merely to grow food, but to demonstrate that even arid regions can be productive when innovation meets determination.
“It’s about more than survival it’s about creating abundance,” he says. “I want young people to see that farming in the drylands can be a serious business, not just a fall-back option.”
Every part of his work is rooted in community transformation. Through eco-innovation, he is conserving endangered acacia trees by hanging hives in them, deterring charcoal loggers, since few are brave enough to chop down a tree guarded by bees.
“Each hive protects a tree. That’s one less tree cut down, and one more bee colony pollinating the landscape,” Mohamed explains.
Now pursuing a Master’s degree in Dryland Environment at Garissa University, Mohamed is deepening his expertise in sustainable resource management. His academic work directly informs his farm operations — bridging scientific knowledge with practical solutions. He also serves as Wajir’s Youth Representative in the Kenya Youth Senate and sits on the Board of Wajir Municipality.
Still, the journey has not been without hardship.
“Getting equipment like honey extractors is tough. Funding is a major problem. But the lessons I got from PA-K helped me push through,” he says.
Universal skills
PA-K is a non-formal education and learning framework through which young people’s achievements outside of academia are recognized and celebrated. The young people engaged are between the ages of 14 and 24 years. The main aim is to equip young people for life by encouraging them to acquire universal skills to help them thrive. The universal skills are achieved through engagement in activities that include getting physically active, volunteering within their communities, and discovering a sense of adventure outside the classroom.
Every drop of honey harvested is a small miracle. One hive can yield up to 15 kilogrammes. But for Mohamed, it’s not just about the product — it’s about the process, the connection to nature, the hum of responsibility, and the transformative power of bees.
He is now exploring value addition, with plans to extract propolis and bee venom — both of which hold strong potential in the pharmaceutical and skincare industries.
“We also serve as a training hub. Farmers come from all over to learn. Seeing others learn from my journey is one of the most fulfilling aspects of this work,” he adds.
With every hive, every tree spared, every acre cultivated, and every young person trained, Mohamed Hassan is proving that farming is not just cool it is revolutionary. He is planting the seeds of a greener, sweeter, and more sustainable future in the heart of Kenya’s toughest terrain.
