The Director (Roads) is a senior strategic leadership role responsible directly to the Director General for guiding and managing the planning, implementation, and oversight of the National Road Infrastructure. An officer at this level may be deployed to head any of the key Technical Directorates, including Planning Research and Compliance, Highway Design and Survey, Development, Maintenance, and Public Private Partnerships (PPP).
Duties and Responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities at this level entail:
- Overseeing formulation, implementation, and review of policies, legislation, regulations, plans, manuals, strategies, standards, guidelines, procedures, and framework pertaining to road planning, design, road safety, construction, and maintenance, ensuring compliance in collaboration with other key stakeholders.
- Overseeing planning, designing, construction, management, monitoring, and evaluation of roads infrastructure, programmes, and projects.
- Overseeing development, implementation, and review of road safety engineering programs and risk management plans for road infrastructure.
- Overseeing provision of consultancy, capacity building, technical support, and advisory services to other Ministries, Departments, Counties, and Agencies (MDCAs) on matters pertaining to roads infrastructure construction and maintenance.
- Approving consultant’s and contractors’ plans and designs pertaining to road infrastructure development and maintenance for implementation.
- Spearheading development of strategies and mechanisms for protection of road reserves and access to roadside developments.
- Overseeing and facilitating road safety audits and assessments.
- Facilitating quality assurance, technical, and performance audits on ongoing and completed road projects to ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and standards.
- Overseeing preparation of road sector investment programmes (RSIP) for maintenance, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of roads in consultation with other key stakeholders.
- Ensuring preparation and implementation of the Annual Public Roads Program (APRP) in consultation with other key stakeholders.
- Facilitating research in emerging trends and technologies in road infrastructure development and maintenance.
- Establishing and maintaining a database on road infrastructure development and maintenance.
- Establishing partnerships and collaborations with key stakeholders in support of road infrastructure development and maintenance projects.
- Ensuring domestication and implementation of resolutions of international treaties and forums relevant to roads infrastructure development and maintenance.
- Promoting innovation, business process re-engineering, and application of new technology in road infrastructure development and maintenance.
- Spearheading designing, implementation, and review of relevant professional development, graduate internship, and industrial attachment programs in consultation with other key stakeholders.
- Preparing and submitting annual reports on road infrastructure development, standardization & maintenance, and cabinet memos & responses to parliamentary queries on matters relating to roads.
- Managing and ensuring prudent utilization of road infrastructure, assets, and resources.
- Overseeing preparation of strategic/work and procurement plans, budgets, and performance targets.
- Building capacity and managing performance.
- Overseeing formulation of axle load control policy and its implementation.
- Overseeing Issuance of exemption permits for abnormal loads.
- Spearheading the development of the framework for the priority list of PPP projects.
- Overseeing the tendering process for the procurement of a PPP project.
- Overseeing the implementation and monitoring of PPP projects.
- Overseeing the management of a PPP project in accordance with the project agreement.
- Overseeing the handback and transfer process of the asset at the end of the PPP concession period.
- Coordinating the formulation and execution of KeNHA’s 50-year Road Development Plan, ensuring sustainability and alignment with broader transport and economic strategies.
- Coordinating the management and continuous improvement of the Road Asset Management System (RAMS), ensuring optimal utilization of road infrastructure assets.
- Coordinating technical assistance to the Director General (DG) and facilitating management meetings for decision-making.
- Coordinating interagency collaborations and policy discussions to integrate road infrastructure planning within national development frameworks.
Qualifications and Requirements
For appointment to this grade, an officer must satisfy the following criteria:
- Experience: A cumulative period of fifteen (15) years’ relevant work experience, three (3) of which must have been at the level of Deputy Director, Engineering (Roads) or in an equivalent and relevant position.
- Education (Undergraduate): Bachelor of Science or Engineering Degree in any of the following disciplines: Civil and Structural Engineering, or its equivalent qualification from a recognized institution.
- Education (Postgraduate): Master's Degree in any of the following disciplines: Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Construction Engineering and Management, or its equivalent qualification from a recognized institution.
- Professional Registration: Registration by the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) as a professional Engineer.
- Professional Membership: Registration as a Corporate Member of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (MIEK).
- Licensing: Valid Annual Practicing License from the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK).
- Leadership Training: Certificate in a Leadership Course lasting not less than four (4) weeks from a recognized institution.
- Technical Skills: Proficiency in computer applications.
- Competence: Demonstrated high degree of professional competence and administrative capability required for effective planning, direction, control, and coordination of the engineering (roads) function.
