Roads Sector Told to Embrace Innovation, Climate-Smart Designs

By Harrison

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

The government has challenged road engineers and training institutions to abandon outdated approaches and embrace innovation and climate-smart solutions to address emerging challenges facing the transport sector.

Speaking during the First International Research Conference in Mombasa, roads principal secretary Engineer Joseph Mbugua said the sector must align training and research with industry demands to ensure that graduates acquire practical skills relevant to the market.

He noted that climate change and recurring floods have exposed weaknesses in road design and infrastructure planning, calling on experts to adopt modern engineering solutions that respond to changing environmental realities.

“The era of guesswork in infrastructure is over. Any project must be guided by research,” he said.

The PS stressed that research findings should no longer remain confined to shelves, but must instead provide practical solutions for Kenya’s roads sector.

“We may not have a shortage of skilled personnel. What we lack is a market for them.”

He urged training institutions to bridge the competence gap by producing graduates whose skills match the needs of the construction and transport industries.

According to him the government is embracing digital transformation in road management including the introduction of automated weighbridges to improve efficiency and accuracy in infrastructure projects.

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) principal secretary Dr Esther Mworia echoed the sentiments saying Kenya has developed sufficient policy frameworks and should now focus on implementation.

“I think we have enough policy papers. We need to move out of the boardrooms and implement our research,” she said.

“We have enough materials on the shelves. If they speak to what we are now going to do, we have to exit boardrooms and implement research that provides solutions. This thing of doing things for the sake of finishing can no longer have space in the country.”

Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology (KIHBT) board chairperson Engineer Nicholas Musuni said the institution was aligning its programmes with policy and industry priorities to enhance sustainability and improve the quality of training.

“It’s focusing on aligning the training to ensure it serves industry needs. We are also focusing on institutional sustainability,” he said.

The three-day conference, themed “Enhancing Capacity Building and Skills Development for Sustainable Road Transport,” has brought together more than 300 participants drawn from government agencies, academia, development partners, the private sector, engineers, policymakers, consultants and researchers from Kenya and across the region.

The event, supported by the World Bank through the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP), seeks to strengthen access to quality Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), improve skills development and promote regional integration.

Discussions at the conference are centred on capacity building, innovation, sustainable financing, regulatory reforms and environmentally sustainable transport systems.

Participants are also presenting research papers, showcasing technologies and innovations, and engaging in policy discussions on the future of transport infrastructure in the region.

KIHBT, a training institution under the State Department for Roads, said the conference aims to strengthen regional and international collaboration while reinforcing the role of TVET, research and policy dialogue in advancing Kenya’s infrastructure development agenda and economic growth.