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The Kisii County government has banned the sale of raw soapstone to investors and brokers and appealed to them to set up industries in the soapstone areas.

Consequently, Kisii Governor Simba Arati has urged soapstone miners and carvers to add value to the stone, create jobs and sell the products locally and globally.

The governor said he would not allow brokers and investors to buy the stones at throw-away prices and process and sell them at exorbitant prices in other counties while locals wallow in abject poverty.

He was speaking at the Agricultural Training Centre ( ATC) during the launching of Kisii Endelevu Trust Initiative (KETI) civil society Organization’s 2023-2027 strategic plan.

Arati, accompanied by the organization’s chairman, Dr. John Nyambega, Asha Moronya, Program Officer, and United States Agency for International Development ( USAID) representative, Ludwig Kimberly pledged to work with the organization to foster development in the county.

“KETI has a network across the county and links other local development organizations (LDO’s) organizations. I urge the organizations to sensitize residents on national and county projects to enhance their knowledge,” Arati said.

Arati laudS USAID, Aga Khan Foundation

He lauded USAID and the Aga Khan Foundation for supporting various development projects through the LDO’s and urged them to ensure donor funds are utilized well, accounted for, and benefit residents.

The governor also implored the civil society organizations to spell out their activities to members of the public to embrace them and foster development.

Moronya said KETI embraces public participation; trains members of civil society organizations on financial management, leadership, and governance to enhance their work and improve the lives of locals.

“The Initiative is an umbrella. We visit, train Group members and give them grants. Currently, we have 1697 groups under the umbrella,” Moronya noted.

Nyambega said KETI trains the groups on value addition to make them self-reliant, adding they work closely with the county and the national government.