Kisii County
Highland farms plus soapstone quarries created diversified economy—2025 levy hikes aim to force local processing. By 2026: value-addition hub or raw material exporter.
Kisii exists because the highlands exist—specifically, the fertile hills between Lake Victoria and the Rift Valley that attract reliable rainfall and support intensive agriculture on 90% arable land. The Gusii people have farmed these slopes for centuries, developing one of Kenya's highest population densities through continuous cultivation of bananas, tea, coffee, and food crops.
But Kisii's unique export isn't agricultural—it's geological. The county contains Kenya's most significant deposits of soapstone (talc), a soft rock carved into decorative items sold globally and used industrially in paper, paint, plastic, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. The Tabaka area has supplied soapstone artisans for generations, creating a craft industry that complements farm income.
The 2025 Finance Bill revealed tensions over soapstone's future. The County Assembly raised flat-rate levies on raw soapstone from KSh 20,000 to KSh 50,000, explicitly designed to discourage export of unprocessed material and encourage local factory establishment. Artisans responded by demanding government policy to modernize mining and provide machinery for bulk harvesting. The underlying vision: transform Kisii from soapstone quarry to processing hub.
Yet climate change threatens the agricultural foundation. Unpredictable planting seasons have damaged food security; mining has degraded farmland. The county exhibits classic diversified smallholder dynamics—multiple income streams provide resilience, but each stream faces distinct pressures. By 2026, Kisii's trajectory depends on whether soapstone value-addition succeeds while agriculture adapts to shifting rainfall patterns.