Kisii leaders push for Itumbe Hill cultural hub to boost soapstone industry

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:02]Now soapstone industry in Kisi is back in the spotlight with renewed calls for a cultural and investment hub at Itumbe Hill aimed at unlocking the minerals untapped economic value. Leaders say limited value addition, poor infrastructure, and low global visibility are holding back a sector with a potential to attract investors, boost tourism, and position Kisi as a key player in Kenya's creative and mineral economy.

[00:00:34]If we are talking about bringing now people to invest.

[00:00:40]One of the things like where we are in Nairobi, we have foreign investors coming. That is where soapstone should be displayed.

[00:00:51]The rock because we are aware soapstone you can make very nice tiles by placing the hard soapstone.

[00:01:00]We can allow people who are coming in with innovative way of doing things, maybe machines to cut very high-tech machines.

[00:01:13]Uh maybe the government needs to push more, spend some more money to change this place because if this mineral was in another country, maybe Asian, European, or American, Kisi would thrive with this and very many cottage industries.