Mitigating Building Collapse in Nairobi County: Analyzing the Impact of Project Management Practices on Construction Projects

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EFFECTS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON CONSTRUCTION
PROJECTS TO MITIGATE COLLAPSE OF BUILDINGS IN NAIROBI COUNTY
BY
JOSPHINE WAITHERA
A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DIPLOMA
PROJECT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
2022

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DECLARATION
I declare that this research project is my own original work and has not been presented in
this University or any other institution for the award of Diploma.
Signature: .................................... Date: .....................................
Josephine waithera
REG
This research project has been presented for examination with my approval as the
University
Supervisor.
Signature: ...................................... Date: ..............................

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DEDICATION
I dedicate this research project to my family for their continued support during the period of
study

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
From the inception of my study idea through the completion of this research project, I would like
to express my gratitude to Mr, who served as my supervisor. I am indebted to him for his
encouragement, supervision, and direction. Without his encouragement and insightful feedback, I
would not have been able to accomplish as much as I have.
In addition, I would like to recognize the efforts of all of the lecturers at the for the assistance
and training that I have received, both of which have had an effect on the information that I
possess.
I would want to express my gratitude to my coworkers for their encouragement and for making it
possible for me to devote the necessary amount of time to finishing this research project. I pray
that the All-Powerful God would shower each and every one of you with his plentiful blessings.

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ABSTRACT
The building construction business is an important and intricate sector that contributes
significantly to the overall economy of the country. Building policies are always established in a
relevant legal authority in order to govern various training institutions, skilled construction
workers, site supervisors, and registration of the contractors. This is done in order to protect the
public. The building construction business in Kenya has been having a lot of issues as a result of
buildings collapsing in major cities, the bulk of which have occurred in Nairobi. As a result of
these collapses, many people have been killed and injured. There is a correlation between the
quality control that is now in place in Kenyan building construction and the rising number of
structures that have collapsed. This study is aimed at investigating the effects of project
management practices on construction projects to mitigate collapse of buildings in Nairobi
County. The results should assist all stakeholders in the building construction industry to
ascertain whether project management practices can mitigate the increased rate of collapse of
buildings in Nairobi County. The precise goals of the study were to determine the extent to which
planning, resource scheduling, project communication, as well as monitoring and evaluation,
have an impact on the success of residential construction projects in Nairobi City County thereby
preventing collapse of buildings. The primary research hypotheses that were investigated were
construction management theory, resource-based view theory, cybernetics theory, and realistic
assessment theory. A descriptive survey study approach was utilized, and both simple random
sampling and purposive sampling were used to collect data. The target demographic consisted of
the project managers, project supervisors, and contractors from each selected gated community
residential construction project. There was a total of seventy-nine residential construction
projects chosen. The use of questionnaires allowed for the collection of data. For the purpose of
determining the validity and reliability of the research questionnaires, a pilot study was carried

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out. The content validity of the instrument was evaluated by both peer review and research expert
verification. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to undertake an analysis of the
data presented in tables. Project managers, project supervisors, contractors, and clients of
residential construction projects in gated communities will find the findings useful. According to
the study's findings, there is a strong correlation between project performance and planning,
resource scheduling, project communication, and project monitoring and assessment. According
to the conclusions of the study, successful project completion requires proper planning,
communication within the project, distribution of resources, and monitoring and evaluation.
According to the conclusions of the study, project managers, supervisors, and contractors should
consider fundamental project management strategies in order to improve the overall performance
of projects and prevent the increased collapse of buildings in Nairobi County.

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Contents
DECLARATION..............................................................................................................................................2
DEDICATION.................................................................................................................................................3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.................................................................................................................................4
ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................................5
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................8
Background of the study..........................................................................................................................8
Statement of the Problem.....................................................................................................................10
Purpose of the Study.............................................................................................................................12
Hypotheses of the Study........................................................................................................................13
Delimitations of the study.....................................................................................................................14
Limitations of the Study.........................................................................................................................15
Organization of the Study......................................................................................................................15
CHAPTER TWO...........................................................................................................................................16
2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................................................16
2.2 Reasons For collapse of Buildings in Nairobi County........................................................................21
2.21 Substandard Materials...............................................................................................................21
2.22 Poor Workmanship....................................................................................................................21
2.23 Quack Contractors.....................................................................................................................22
2.24 Incompetence of construction workers.....................................................................................22
2.25 Conceptual Framework..................................................................................................................23
CHAPTER THREE........................................................................................................................................24
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.......................................................................................................................24
Research Design.....................................................................................................................................24
Target population..................................................................................................................................25
Sample size and Sampling Method........................................................................................................25
Data collection procedures....................................................................................................................25
Data analysis and procedures................................................................................................................26
CHAPTER FOUR..........................................................................................................................................27
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS.......................................................................................................................27
Table 1: Agreement with the Various Statements on Contribution of Project Planning to Collapse of
Storey Buildings.................................................................................................................................27
Collapse of storey buildings in Nairobi County..................................................................................29

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Table 2: Statements on Collapse of Storey Buildings in Kiambu County............................................29
Regression Analysis............................................................................................................................30
CHAPTER FIVE............................................................................................................................................32
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................................32
Conclusions............................................................................................................................................32
Recommendations.................................................................................................................................32
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
Buildings, as well as the supply of people with secure and inexpensive places to live, are
fundamental contributions to sustainable development, which is an essential component of a
civilized society. This has been demonstrated throughout the course of human history. In this
regard, the construction process in any building project should be carried out in the most efficient
and ethical manner possible to ensure that construction projects are finished according to the
standards of quality that were defined by the project owner or designer. Additionally, projects
continue to grow in size and complexity, necessitating the recruitment of more specialist
employees, higher-tech equipment, and improved control systems. The leaders of an organization
are the ones who are ultimately responsible for the success or failure of quality management. To