It’s an early Sunday morning, our journey starts at 5am in Nairobi. Our destination today as Milele Bloom team is Kolowa in Baringo county. Kolowa lies to the north-west of Nairobi. We travel north-west through Nakuru → Marigat → Loruk → Chemolingot then toward Kolowa. Kolowa sits near the border of Baringo and Elgeyo-Marakwet/Pokot.
We set off from Nairobi, full of excitement and purpose—after all, our mission is sweet: to source for pure, organic Milele Bloom honey in Kolowa. The road out is smooth, the Nairobi–Nakuru highway humming under our wheels, though a few mischievous truck drivers seem determined to test our patience by swaying across lanes like they’re in a competition.
Past Nakuru, the landscape begins to change. Suddenly, the road feels less like a highway and more like an open invitation to adventure. Only—this is no empty road. Cows stretch out lazily on the tarmac as if they’re sunbathing, while camels camp right in the middle of our path, staring at us with an almost royal indifference. Just as we slow down, a herd of sheep dashes across, leaving us clutching the brakes and laughing nervously.
By the time we reach Marigat, the air is warmer, drier, and buzzing with the spirit of Baringo. Then, there it is—Lake Baringo, shimmering in the distance, its waters glinting like polished glass. We pull over for a moment, drinking in the view, though the mood is sobered by stretches of road still bearing the story of when the lake overflowed, swallowing the tarmac and forcing us to rely on some young boys who direct us into crossing the waters safely. I must say they know where every pothole on this section of the road is and this is a way of putting a shilling in their pocket now that it’s not a school day, Ignore them at your own risk.
Further north, the journey becomes almost poetic. The road dips and rises into valleys and hills, breathtaking in their rugged beauty. But beauty here is layered with memory; the name Kapedo is whispered like a warning, stirring echoes of banditry and uneasy days gone by. The silence of the land almost speaks.
Finally, we roll into Chemolingot, and the tarmac abandons us without apology. From here on, it’s dust and gravel, the kind of road that tests your resolve but also reminds you: this is the gateway to the real treasures. The further we push, the closer we get—not just to Kolowa’s legendary organic honey, but to the heart of a land that is as wild as it is sweet.
And then Kolowa greets us. A land where the acacia trees stand tall and proud, their umbrella crowns painting the horizon. These trees are not just part of the scenery—they are the lifeblood of the community. Their blossoms carry the nectar that the bees transform into Kolowa’s pure, golden honey.
Here, honey is not just food—it is heritage, medicine, its education and economy. Families tend to their hives with patience, whether hanging traditional log hives high in the acacia branches or managing modern apiaries. Sourcing our honey from Kolowa is beyond income; it is dignity, it pays school fees, fills cooking pots, and anchors dreams. It’s about peace building, it’s about rescuing girls from early marriage and Female Genital mutilation. Every jar of honey tells the story of this land: the dry winds, the blooming acacias, the tireless bees, and the people who live in harmony with them. It’s about bringing this adventurous experience to our customers.
So, when you finally dip a spoon into that golden liquid, we know—it is not just honey. It is the taste of Kolowa itself: wild, resilient, and sweet beyond words. We are Milele Bloom.
