How studying beekeeping changed my career

Meet Dr Dickson Biryomumaisho

I am Biryomumaisho Dickson – Executive Director TUNADO since 2011 to date. I did Study Bsc Community Forestry, did Masters in Agroforestry – with bias in commercial entomology and I also Hold PhD in Agricultural and Rural Innovations with Bias in beekeeping and all of Makerere University. I was born and raised in Rural area in Rukungiri District of Uganda and only went Kampala – Capital City of Uganda while joining University and since then, I have worked at national level while supporting regional and international beekeeping agenda.

Image above: Dr Dickson Biryomumaisho

What sparked your interest in beekeeping? How did this affect your career path?

As a young boy I kept bees and got some money that helped with school fees and as I joined University, I did Bsc Community Forestry and came across a course unit Beekeeping. It was taught by Professor Robert Kajobe my current boss the Chairperson TUNADO and head of graduate programme Muni University. The course introduced us to bee biology, different hive products, different hive technologies, bee pests and diseases, bee forage, beekeeping practices, beekeeping and livelihood potentials. I quickly saw opportunity to start beekeeping while involving local communities. The following day I looked for members to join me to start an organization Forestry and Environment Development Network (FEDN) I went and registered it with government and when the holiday came, I went back to my home district to popularize the concept of beekeeping. It gave me big exposure and I came back with 100kgs of honey to Kampala and I started trading honey while at the University. Established my good apiary at home and every holiday would train local communities. I kept reading and searching for information and got a dream of starting a national beekeepers association in 2005 and only to learn that IN 2004 Beekeepers in Uganda had formed a national association known as The Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation (TUNADO). The following morning, I went and registered my organization (FEDN) with TUNADO and in 2008, I was voted as a Director on the board representing Southwestern Uganda. I then underwent several trainings (I remember Bees for Development UK organized trainings in 2008 and gave me very many reading materials) and also received many assignments for I was the youngest on the board. My Board Chairperson by then Late (MHSRIP) Jackson Jurua entrusted me with many assignments. He quickly built my confidence and by 2011 when the by then Executive Director Mr. Robert Ndyabarema resigned the board did not look any further, they said Dickson, you’re young, you have masters, you studied courses in beekeeping please take over and become Executive Director. I was confident but the issue was people in the sector where very Old and I was asking myself how to handle them….I will add next time my journey as Executive Director.

How important is university beekeeping education for the Uganda beekeeping industry?

I will encourage most Ugandans if they have chance at university to take beekeeping course unit. It normally comes as elective. The beauty with it, is that it’s practical, it’s a reality, you can easily practice what you study, you can easily start earning. It gives you all the theoretical and practical knowledge that you need to become a great beekeeper and a leader. You can easily contribute to your society. With the current unemployment levels in the country, take beekeeping and you will never regret.

From a conservation perspective, what impact do you believe engaging young people in beekeeping can have?

When you have passion for beekeeping and have studied beekeeping, you will understand and appreciate the kind of environment that bees want. You will realize that bees are nature lovers, you will soon know that bees need natural environment an that they need trees to survive and that agrochemicals kill them. In few years you will by default become a conservationist.

Tell us an inspiring example from your work in Uganda on the impact of beekeeping education

I am extremely proud of my work as the Executive Director for TUNADO- the centre of excellency in Africa if not in the whole world. Throughout my work, I have seen extremely poor families use beekeeping to earn, build houses, buy land, buy food, buy clothes, educate their children and enter money economy. Come during the 4th African Region Apimondia Symposium at Hotel Africana 25-28th Aug 2026 and experience the transformation am talking about. The whole World will be there to celebrate the beekeeping achievements in Uganda.

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