MONITORING PROJECT RISKS AND PERFORMANCE OF WATER PROJECTS IN LOWER EASTERN REGION, KENYA
Juliana Mbii - Doctor of Philosophy in Project Management, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Nairobi, Kenya
Anaya Senelwa - Lecturer, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
Yusuf Muchelule - Lecturer, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Performance of water projects remains a major concern in Kenya despite increased public investment in water infrastructure. Many projects continue to experience delays, cost overruns, implementation challenges and failure to achieve planned objectives, partly due to inadequate monitoring of project risks. This study examined the influence of monitoring project risks on the performance of water projects in Lower Eastern Region, Kenya, and assessed the moderating effect of project environment on this relationship. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design guided by the pragmatism research philosophy and employed a mixed methods approach. A sample of 336 water projects was selected through proportionate stratified random sampling from a target population of 2,665 water projects, while 39 key informants were purposively selected. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaires and interview guides and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, simple linear regression and hierarchical regression analysis. The findings established that monitoring project risks positively and significantly influenced the performance of water projects. The study further found that project environment significantly moderated the relationship between monitoring project risks and project performance by strengthening the effectiveness of risk monitoring practices. The study concludes that continuous risk identification, assessment, reassessment and control improve project implementation and enhance project performance, particularly when supported by favourable organizational and operational environments. The study recommends that implementing agencies strengthen risk monitoring systems, invest in technical capacity building, allocate adequate resources for risk mitigation and create supportive organizational environments to enhance the successful implementation of water projects.