Delivery of road construction projects in Kenya: A review of causes, trends, and research gaps

Edwin Kipkemoi Cheserek; Alexander Khaemba; Samuel Waweru; Janet Oyaro; Edwin Kimutai Kanda

doi:10.51867/scimundi.6.2.36

Authors

Edwin Kipkemoi Cheserek Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega, Kenya https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7612-9368
Alexander Khaemba Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega, Kenya https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9356-1688
Samuel Waweru Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega, Kenya https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7291-9716
Janet Oyaro Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega, Kenya https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0590-9964
Edwin Kimutai Kanda Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega, Kenya https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5357-1005

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/scimundi.6.2.36

Keywords:

Project Completion, Road Construction, Time-Overun, Triple Constraints Theory

Abstract

Construction projects in Kenya continue to experience delays and there is no noted improvement in the completion of road construction projects in the recent past. This has been worsened by the fact that some projects are started for political reasons leading to poor planning and skewed resource allocation. Delays in project completion have continued to cost tax payers millions of shillings with no tangible solution on sight necessitating this review. Therefore, this review synthesizes studies on construction project delivery in Kenya, revealing persistent delays affecting 35–73% of projects with no improvement over time. It was guided by the triple constraints theory, systems theory, resource-based view theory and institutional theory. Contractor-related factors such as cash flow constraints, poor scheduling, and inadequate site management are the dominant delay causes, followed by client factors which included delayed payments and bureaucracy. Consultant factors such as design deficiencies, slow responses, and external factors which include price escalations, weather, and wayleave disputes are other significant causes of delay in project delivery. A causal domino effect is identified whereby client payment delays trigger contractor liquidity crises and work stoppages. This review makes three important contributions: establishing delay persistence, mapping causal chains, and identifying critical research gaps such as the absence of project duration prediction models for Kenya and undetermined effects of site meetings, personnel capacity, and variations on delays. Based on this review, the following interventions are desirable: improved contractor vetting, assured client funding, enhanced supervision, and development of empirically validated duration prediction models tailored to Kenya.

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