Mukundi, Candita Njeri2025-07-242025-07-242025-06https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/30794A Research Project Submitted to the School of Business, Economics and Tourism in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Master of Business Adminstration (Project Management) of Kenyatta of Kenyatta University, June 2025 Supervisors; 1. Alfayos OndaraHumanitarian organizations in Nairobi City County play a vital role in advancing the social and economic conditions of poor and low-income residents. However, many initiatives fail to achieve their intended goals due to insufficient stakeholder management, affecting project completion timelines, budget adherence, quality preservation, scope fulfillment, and stakeholder satisfaction. This study investigated the impact of stakeholder management on project performance in humanitarian organizations in Nairobi City County, Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to assess the influence of stakeholders' interests, measure the impact of project communication, determine the level of stakeholder participation, and evaluate the effect of conflict management on project performance. The study employed a descriptive research design targeting 3,101 key stakeholders from 201 humanitarian NGOs registered in Nairobi City County. Using Yamane's formula, a sample size of 354 respondents was calculated and selected through stratified random sampling. The sample comprised project managers, project staff, and local beneficiaries involved in humanitarian projects implemented between 2016 and 2022. Data was collected using structured questionnaires with closed-ended questions measured on a five-point Likert scale. Analysis was conducted using SPSS software, employing descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression. The study was anchored on stakeholder theory, agency theory, communication theory, and systems theory. The response rate was 87% (308 respondents). Correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships between project performance and stakeholders' interests (r = 0.848), project communication (r = 0.879), stakeholders' participation (r = 0.729), and conflict management (r = 0.819). Multiple regression analysis showed that these variables collectively explained 88.2% of the variance in project performance (Adjusted R² = 0.882, F = 575.632, p < 0.001). Project communication emerged as the strongest predictor (β = 0.360), followed by conflict management (β = 0.296), stakeholders' interests (β = 0.268), and stakeholders' participation (β = 0.134). All relationships were statistically significant at p < 0.001. The study concluded that stakeholder management significantly influences project performance in humanitarian organizations. Effective project communication, robust conflict management, proper alignment of stakeholder interests, and active stakeholder participation are critical determinants of project success in humanitarian contexts. Humanitarian organizations should develop comprehensive communication strategies, implement participatory project management approaches, establish robust conflict management systems, and prioritize stakeholder interest alignment. Organizations should integrate all stakeholder management dimensions into their project management frameworks to maximize performance outcomesenThesis