Youth abandon valuable soapstone for boda boda in Kisii

Alex Karanja, a sculptor displays some of his carvings at Tabaka Kisii County. Sculptors from the region claim middlemen and poor roads hinder them from getting good money (Photo: Sammy Omingo/Standard)

For years, soapstone curving has been a lucrative venture for hundreds of South Mugirango residents in Kisii County, but not until middlemen, perceived as contributing to high unemployment and poverty rates, raided the market.

The locations around the Tabaka Quarry had become a robust economy with every family assured of livelihood.