Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology, commonly known as KIHBT, is opening its first international research conference in Mombasa this week, bringing together officials from the roads sector, academia, training institutions and private industry.
The three-day conference is scheduled to run from May 20 to May 22 at PrideInn Flamingo Beach Resort in Mombasa.
According to information shared by KIHBT through its official social media channels, the conference is centred on the theme “Enhancing Capacity Building and Skills Development for Sustainable Road Transport”.
The event is being hosted jointly by KIHBT and the Ministry of Roads and Transport through the State Department for Roads.
Several state agencies linked to Kenya’s road sector are participating. They include the Engineers Board of Kenya, Kenya National Highways Authority, Kenya Urban Roads Authority and Kenya Rural Roads Authority.
Other organisations listed as partners include JICA, Sika, the Institution of Engineers of Kenya, National Industrial Training Authority, Taita Taveta University and the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence Project, commonly referred to as EASTRIP.
The conference programme, as outlined in promotional material released ahead of the opening, focuses on research, dialogue and innovation linked to the future of Kenya’s road transport sector.
While organisers have not publicly released a detailed agenda, the emphasis on skills development reflects growing attention within the infrastructure sector on technical training, workforce readiness and institutional capacity.
Kenya’s transport sector has expanded rapidly over the past decade through large road construction programmes, bypasses, highway rehabilitation works and urban mobility projects. That expansion has increased demand for engineers, technicians, materials specialists, project managers and skilled construction workers.
Training institutions such as KIHBT have become increasingly involved in producing technical personnel for both public and private sector infrastructure projects.
Founded in 1952, KIHBT operates under the Ministry of Roads and Transport and has historically trained personnel in highway engineering, plant operations, construction technology and related disciplines. Its Nairobi campus remains one of the country’s better-known public technical training institutions serving the roads and construction sectors.
The participation of agencies such as KeNHA, KURA and KeRRA also places the conference within the wider discussion around maintenance and management of Kenya’s road network.
The three authorities oversee different categories of roads across the country, ranging from international highways and urban corridors to rural access roads.
International participation through organisations such as JICA and EASTRIP points to the broader regional and development interest in transport training and infrastructure research.
JICA has previously supported multiple transport and infrastructure initiatives in Kenya, including technical cooperation programmes connected to engineering and road development.
Conference organisers have described the gathering as a platform for engagement between government, industry and academic institutions.
Registration for participants was being conducted through KIHBT’s conference portal ahead of the opening session.
The event comes at a time when questions around technical standards, project delivery capacity and long-term infrastructure maintenance continue to shape conversations in Kenya’s construction sector.
Discussions around training and research have also gained attention as contractors adopt more advanced construction technologies, digital project management systems and modern materials across major infrastructure works.
For KIHBT, the conference represents one of the institution’s largest publicly announced research-focused events in recent years and signals an attempt to strengthen its role beyond technical instruction into sector research and policy engagement.
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