Factors influencing completion of construction projects in Kenya: a case of government buildings construction projects in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to determine the factors influencing completion of projects in Kenya: a case of government buildings construction projects in Nairobi County. The study was guided by four specific objectives: to determine how Political factors influence Completion of Government Buildings Construction Projects; to establish the Economic factors that influences Completion of Government Buildings Construction Projects; to determine how Timeliness of payment of contracts influences Completion of Government Buildings Construction Projects and to determine how Technology influences Completion of Government Buildings Construction Projects in Nairobi County Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study was carried out in Nairobi County. There were 150 Government construction Projects in the Nairobi, County. Therefore, the targeted population for this study consisted of all the 150 Government Buildings Construction Projects in the Nairobi, County. From each of the150 Government construction Projects in the Nairobi, County, the study selected 3 members with the information in each project who are the Government architects, structural engineers, civil engineers, construction project managers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, land surveyors and contractors on site. Therefore, the study comprised of 450 respondents as the target population. a sample of more than 30% was a representative of the whole population, therefore the researcher sampled a target sample of 45 Government Buildings Construction Projects, from the 45 projects, the study obtained 3 members with the information in each project who are the Government making the sample population to 135 respondents. The researcher used purposive sampling to select 135 participants. The questionnaire was used for data collection because it offered considerable advantages in the administration. Data was collected, examined and checked for completeness and clarity. The data collected was analyzed quantitatively. Frequency tables with varying percentages was used to present the findings. Results of went through a critical assessment of each response and examined using thematic interpretation in accordance with the main objectives of the study and thereafter presented in narrative excerpts within the report. The study found out that the Political interference plays a critical but poorly understood role in determining the success or failure of the completion of Construction Projects on a Very high extent with a mean of 3.901. Most respondents agreed that Most government funded projects are hurdled by the financial constraints during the time of their implementation to a very high extent with M=3.884 (SD=0.815).The management of construction projects requires knowledge of modern management as well as an understanding of the design and construction process. the coefficient of determination (the percentage variation in the dependent variable being explained by the changes in the independent variables) R2 equals 0. 790, that is Organization Political factors influence Completion of Government Buildings Construction Projects, Economic factors that influences Completion of Government Buildings Construction Projects, Timeliness of payment of contracts influences Completion of Government Buildings Construction Projects, Technology have 79% percent influence on Completion of Construction Projects, leaving only 21% percent unexplained. The P- value of 0.004 (Less than 0.05) implies that the model of Completion of Construction Projects is significant at the 5 percent significance