Participatory Project Planning and Performance of Road Construction Projects in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Road construction projects in Nairobi City County are characterised by schedule delays, cost overruns and quality shortfalls, with over 40% of major road projects reported to be delayed and over budget. This study examined the influence of participatory project planning on the performance of road construction projects in Nairobi City County, Kenya. Specifically, it assessed the influence of participatory goal setting, participatory resource planning, participatory scheduling and participatory risk assessment on project delivery performance. The study was anchored on Systems Theory, Stakeholder Theory and the Resource-Based View. Descriptive and explanatory research designs were adopted. The target population comprised 208 contractors, project managers, engineers and community representatives drawn from 52 road projects implemented by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) in the 2019/20 to 2021/22 financial years. Using Slovin’s formula and stratified random sampling, a sample of 136 respondents was selected, of whom 110 returned usable questionnaires (80.9% response rate). Data were analysed using SPSS Version 25 through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression, while open-ended responses were analysed thematically. The four predictors jointly explained 79.6% of the variation in project delivery performance (R² = 0.796). Participatory goal setting (β = 0.594, p < 0.05), participatory scheduling (β = 0.401, p < 0.05), participatory risk assessment (β = 0.395, p < 0.05) and participatory resource planning (β = 0.254, p < 0.05) each had a positive and significant influence on performance. The study concludes that stakeholder participation in project planning is a significant determinant of road project performance. It recommends that KURA and project managers involve all stakeholders, including community members, in setting objectives and indicators, estimating task durations and assessing risks, and that budgeting be made transparent. Keywords: Participatory Project Planning, Goal Setting, Resource Planning, Project Scheduling, Risk Assessment, Road Construction Projects, Project Performance, Nairobi City County, Kenya. Title: Participatory Project Planning and Performance of Road Construction Projects in Nairobi City County, Kenya Author: Kimungui David Wekesa, Perris Chege International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online) Vol. 14, Issue 4, October 2026 - December 2026 Page No: 134-144 Research Publish Journals Website: www.researchpublish.com Published Date: 20-October-2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23498043 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/participatory-project-planning-and-performance-of-road-construction-projects-in-nairobi-city-county-kenya