Influence of Time Overruns on the Implementation of County Construction Projects; the Case of Lamu County, Kenya.
Abstract
Time overruns and delays in implementation of construction projects has become a common
phenomenon globally and Kenya is no exception, especially with the coming of devolution
system. Failure to timely deliver projects interferes with project deliverables which in turn have
negative impacts on project success in terms of time, cost, quality and safety. Identifying the
significant factors influencing project delays and overrun is vital to minimize these impacts. A
number of factors have been said to influence the rates at which these projects are completed.
The Purpose of this study was to examine the Influence of Time Overruns in the Implementation
of County Construction Projects; the Case of Lamu County, Kenya. The study was based on
three theories that touched on organizational theory, agency theory, and financial distress theory.
The research was guided by the following objectives: to determine the influence of political
good-will in the implementation of County construction projects; the case of Lamu county,
Kenya; to assess the influence of budgetary allocations on the implementation of County
construction projects; the case of Lamu county, Kenya ; to examine how organisation structures
within the county government influence the implementation of County construction projects; the
case of Lamu county, Kenya; and to find out the extent to which contracts management
influences the implementation of County construction projects; the case of Lamu county, Kenya.
This study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population was 70 respondents.
Stratified sampling was used to select 60 respondents so as to allow full participation of the
respondents. Primary data was collected using structured administered questionnaires consisting
of both closed and open-ended questions. Data collection tools were piloted among 10
respondents in the neighboring Kilifi county and suggestions made before finalizing their
development. The researcher visited the targeted respondents, used research assistants to access
some other respondents, and e-mailed questionnaires to some respondent who were not easily
accessible for one on one questionnaire filling. Data collected was analyzed using quantitative
methods with the help of (SPSS) version 20. Research findings showed that of the 60 targeted
respondents 50 of them responded representing 83.33% response rate considered adequate to
constitute a basis for valid conclusion. From the study’s findings, it was concluded that, politics
and political goodwill has a significant influence on the rates of projects completion. The
politicians decide the amount of money to be allocated to various projects, the time periods that
this money should take to reach the project implementers, the site/location of the projects, the
priority projects and many more. The study also concluded that the budgetary allocations from
both the national and county governments have a significant influence on the implementation
and completion of projects. Besides, the researcher concludes that county governance structures
have a significant influence on the rates of projects completion. Finally, the researcher concludes
that contracts management significantly influences the rates at which projects are completed by
counties. The laws, rules and regulations that govern the people to be awarded contracts, the
people to award the contracts, the stakeholders to be enjoined in the contractual process and the
time periods of paying the contractors is very important in determining the time projects are
completed. The study recommends that future research should be undertaken in other counties in
the coast region to ascertain whether such factors outlined above also influence the rates of
projects completion. The study also recommends for a research to be done examining the
influence of community participation on construction projects implementation in counties, in
Kenya.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
- Faculty of Education (FEd) [5964]
The following license files are associated with this item: