Investing in Kisii County: A haven of Ready Opportunities for Investors

Kisii County shares common borders with Nyamira County to the northeast, Narok County to the south and Homabay and Migori Counties to the west. The most notable features in the County include hills, Sameta, Nyamasibi, Kiong’anyo, Kiamwasi, Kiongongi, Kiombeta, Sombogo, Nyanchwa and Kegochi hills.

The general slope of the land is from east to west. The County is traversed by permanent rivers which flow westwards into Lake Victoria. Among the notable ones are Kuja, Mogusii, and Riana and Iyabe rivers. There are also depressions and valleys.

The County exhibits a highland equatorial climate resulting in a bimodal rainfall pattern with average annual rainfall of 1,500mm. The long rains are between March and June while the short rains are received from September to November.

The favorable climatic conditions in the Kisii County ensure that there is an abundance of agricultural raw materials that will support agro-based industries through value addition.

Besides, the County is endowed with quality and large deposits of soapstone (Talc) that is currently used to make carvings but which has potential to be processed further as a critical component in the manufacture of paper, paint, plastic, cosmetics, rubber and pharmaceutical industries among other industrial uses.

Several opportunities exist in Kisii County due to its diversified economy and private sector development within the County. The sectors that are potential for investment include:

Mining

The mining of Tabaka soapstone in Kisii County is an important economic activity in the county since it provides over seven thousand people with incomes.

This mineral is mainly used in the making of carvings which are sold locally and abroad. The traders need to be encouraged to form cooperative societies to assist in marketing the artworks to protect them from middlemen who are exploitative.

The soapstone mining has enormous potential for development in the manufacture of tiles and chalk.

Another mining potential in the county is granite which is found in Bonchari, Bogiakumu area in Kisii County. The granite can be taken to Athi River for processing of tiles. The small market for this mineral and its unorganized marketing channels are inhibiting its full exploitation.

Investors can take advantage of such opportunities and put in their resources that will definitely bring about huge returns.

Agriculture

Kisii County enjoys favorable climatic conditions that favor agriculture. This sector thus provides the veins that keep the county economy productive.

The sector employs over 80 percent of the county’s workforce; is a source of household income raw materials for agro-based industries; assists in environmental conservation.

Agriculture is mainly small scale with the production of food crops using non-mechanized techniques. Some of the crops majorly being practiced and which need more investment include the following:

Coffee: The Arabica coffee grown in Kisii  County is among the best in the world yet is unknown as it is used for blending with coffee from other countries so as to improve their quality. The county is seeking an investor to set up a facility to process, brand and market this unique product.

Tea: The top-ranked tea at the Mombasa auction is from Kisii County and like in coffee we are seeking for an investor to brand and market our tea both locally and internationally. An investment opportunity also exists in the area of a green tea factory.

Fruit Processing: The county has an abundant supply of fruits (passion fruit, pineapples, tomatoes, oranges) for a fruit processing plant. This can be juice extraction, canning, jams, marmalade, etc.  Also, there is an oversupply of avocados to support a medium sized plant to process the fruit into various products.

Pyrethrum:  Kisii   County was at one time the world leader in the production of pyrethrum which it lost due to the introduction of synthetic products. With the world getting more environmentally aware, the demand for natural solutions has grown.  An investment opportunity exists for a plant to extract pyrethrin as an insecticide.

Bananas: Various varieties of bananas grow in the county making this the most attractive agro – product for value addition due to its abundance. Investors are invited to set up processing plants for this readily available products into juice, crisps, wafers, cakes, and flour amongst others.

3. Tourism and Hospitality

The ideal climatic condition and the altitude of the hills within Kisii County offer an opportunity for sports tourism. Due to the high population density in the County, almost all land is put to maximum agricultural use almost displacing wild animals’.

Only a few wild animals like porcupines, monkeys, snakes and various species of birds live in the bushy river valleys. There are no registered game parks in the County but some geological sites such as Nyangweta Forest, Ritumbe Forest, and Ibencho can offer good tourist sites.

The development of Hotel Industry to exploit the potential in the tourism sector within Kisii County will go a long way to put the County in the world market of tourist attraction areas.