Project Planning Practices and Performance of Road Construction Projects in Nairobi City County, Kenya
| dc.contributor.author | Onwong’a, Nyakundi Wesley | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-02-18T07:08:28Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-02-18T07:08:28Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-11 | |
| dc.description | A Research Project Submitted to the School of Business, Economics and Tourism in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Business Administration (Project Management) of Kenyatta University, November, 2025 Supervisor; 1.Lucy Ngugi, | |
| dc.description.abstract | Despite the substantial funding that the Government consistently allocates to road infrastructure initiatives, an estimated 55 per cent of all road development initiatives in the City County of Nairobi encounter cost overruns and fail to meet the required quality benchmarks. This study examined how project planning methodologies affect the execution outcomes of Nairobi City County's road infrastructure development sector. The research specifically set out to investigate the contribution of the project budget management, project risk management, project communication management, and project schedule management to the performance of road construction in Nairobi City County. The analysis was structured around the theory of constraints, the cybernetics theory, the enterprise risk management theory, and the resource allocation theory. An explanatory research framework was implemented to explore directional relationships between planning methodologies and performance outcomes. The sampling technique used was a Non-Probability, Purposive Sampling technique, specifically a combination of Judgmental and Criterion-Based sampling. This investigation identified 21 road construction projects within Nairobi City County's jurisdiction as the finite population for this investigation. The research utilised complete enumeration, securing participation from the entire population of 63 qualified respondents. Before the main study, a pilot study was conducted on two road projects in Kiambu County, surveying six randomly selected managers to test and validate the research instruments for validity and reliability. Semi-structured questionnaires served as the principal research tool, enabling comprehensive data acquisition from the entire sample population. Data analysis was conducted in SPSS v.22, producing descriptive summaries and inferential test results. The analytical approach comprised both descriptive statistics methods, including percentages, frequency distributions, means, and standard deviations, and inferential methods, including Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression analysis. Based on a comprehensive study of road construction projects, the findings reveal strong positive outcomes and effective planning practices: 82.76 per cent of participants reported projects staying within budget, 87.94 per cent confirmed schedule adherence, and 89.66 per cent affirmed meeting quality standards. The implementation of core planning practices received widespread endorsement, with 84.48 per cent agreeing that budget approaches were thorough, 89.66 per cent confirming accurate schedule estimation frameworks, 87.93 per cent expressing confidence in risk documentation, and 86.21 per cent reporting frequent stakeholder communication. Overall performance scored a mean of 3.83 alongside a planning practices mean of 3.68, demonstrating successful implementation across all domains, though standard deviations of 1.08 to 1.25 indicated some variation in participant perspectives. Derived from the empirical analysis of road construction projects in Nairobi City County, this study confirms that four core planning practices—schedule, risk, budget, and communication management—significantly enhance project performance. Regression results identify schedule management as the strongest predictor, followed by risk, budget, and communication management, all with statistically significant effects. To optimise outcomes, the study recommends that project teams adopt advanced scheduling tools, enforce rigorous financial controls, implement continuous risk monitoring, and use dedicated digital platforms for stakeholder communication. It further advises policymakers to develop enforceable regulatory frameworks that standardise these practices. This research provides actionable guidance for project teams, practical insights for clients, and a foundation for future academic work | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/32481 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.title | Project Planning Practices and Performance of Road Construction Projects in Nairobi City County, Kenya | |
| dc.type | Thesis |