Victor Kalama’s career in infrastructure development began at the Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology (KIHBT), where he enrolled for a Craft Certificate in Road Construction and graduated in 2021. He later progressed to a Diploma in Highway Engineering, completing his studies in 2023. Alongside both programmes, he also undertook industry-demand driven short courses such as Low Volume Sealed Roads (LVSR) and Performance-Based Contracts (PBC), which strengthened his competencies in surveying, road design, materials testing, project costing, supervision, and contract management.
After graduating, he went for an internship at the county government of Kilifi in the roads department, where he got an opportunity to put his skills into practice.
“I worked on cabro paving, upgrading roads to bituminous standards and drainage works all of which built directly on the skills that I had gained at KIHBT, beyond technical knowledge, KIHBT instilled in me values of discipline, problem-solving, and teamwork, skills that continue to guide me in my daily work.”
Victor Kalama during his field work.
His technical supervisor affirmed the strength of KIHBT’s training, noting: “His knowledge on road construction procedures especially material testing, quality control, and site organization showed that KIHBT equips its trainees with hands-on and industry aligned skills”
Kalama is among over 5,000 trainees who benefitted from the World Bank’s investment at KIHBT through the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRP).
Through the project, KIHBT has been able to procure the modern equipment used in road construction, constructed a state-of-the-art tuition block with modern workshops, strengthened industry partnerships, transforming KIHBT into a Regional Flagship TVET Institute for Highways Technology. Student enrolment at the institute has increased from1,900 students at inception to 5,018 trainees, surpassing the target of 4,180, with 114 regional students from East Africa benefiting from cross-border mobility opportunities supported under EASTRIP
Graduate employment rate has increased from 38% at inception to 77%, within 6 months after graduation, while female graduate employment has increased from 31% to 72%.
Today, Kalama works at Arcon Works Limited, a civil engineering construction company. By coincidence, the same company was contracted to build the EASTRIP Tuition Block at KIHBT, funded by the World Bank under East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP)
And in a beautiful twist of fate, Kalama was assigned as the Site Surveyor for the project.
“It was surreal” he recalls. “During my Diploma studies, EASTRIP supported our industrial visits, industry placements, and post qualification follow up. Now here I was, contributing professionally to the same project that once supported my learning, this is a full circle for me.”
His Supervisor at Arcon Works Limited expressed “The accuracy in setting-out, level checks, and coordination of site tasks proved that KIHBT produces trainees who are technically grounded and practically prepared to perform actual tasks”
Kalama’s story of growth didn’t end at the construction site. Recently, the World Bank gave him an opportunity to participate in the Africa Skills for Jobs Policy Academy Conference 2025 as a delegate, where he had an opportunity to interact with researchers and policy makers across Sub-Saharan Africa as they converged to strengthen capacity and deliver practical solutions that equip youth with the skills required in Africa.
With a smile, he added, “They say life is like a road full of bumps, turns, and potholes. Luckily for me, I studied at KIHBT, a Regional flagship TVET Institute in Highways Technology, so at least I know how to fix them”
By Beatrice Njenga, Communication Officer for EASTRIP at Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology
