Influence of Competence of Contractor on Performance of Government Construction Projects in Kenya

Abstract

The government of Kenya is putting great emphasis on infrastructural development as one of the key pillars to anchor ambitious plan of attaining rapid economic growth. Construction companies play a crucial role in the implementation of government construction projects. It is therefore essential that these contractors have the right competencies to enable them successfully undertake government construction projects. The Kenyan government continues to really on foreign companies to execute major construction projects in the country. The objective of the study was to assess the influence of contractor's competence on performance of government construction projects in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive research design and used simple random sampling to select a sample from the registered Architects/projects managers practicing in Nairobi Kenya and involved with government projects. The unit of analysis therefore was government construction projects while unit of observation was 728 Registered Architects/projects managers within Nairobi. A sample size of 251 was used. The study generated both qualitative and quantitative data. Data was collected using questionnaires and analysed using SPSS. The findings of the study showed a significant and positive relationship between contractor's competence and performance of government construction projects in Kenya. The study concluded that contractor's competence enhances the performance of government construction projects in Kenya.