Financial Resource Management as a Key Determinant in Completion of Kenya Police Housing Scheme Projects in Kenya
- Dr. Nathan Stephen Mwangangi
- 531-543
- Apr 5, 2025
- Management
Financial Resource Management as a Key Determinant in Completion of Kenya Police Housing Scheme Projects in Kenya
Dr. Nathan Stephen Mwangangi
Metropolitan University of Somalia, Somalia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2025.12030036
Received: 10 February 2025; Accepted: 15 February 2025; Published: 04 April 2025
Figure 1: Houses belonging to police officers guarding top State officials. The camp is located between Ufunguo and Highrise estate on Mbagathi Road
ABSTRACT
Construction projects, particularly in developing countries like Kenya, often face significant challenges including funding shortages, cost unpredictability, delays, and conflicts between project objectives. These factors negatively impact the feasibility, cost, and schedule performance of projects. Over time, the state of institutional housing for Kenya police and Kenya prisons personnel has deteriorated significantly. This has led to poor living conditions, with multiple families often being forced to share a single residence intended for one family, which compromises the privacy and living quality of the inhabitants. The ongoing housing crisis has been a topic of serious and continuous debate within national forums. The shortage has forced police officers to live outside designated police lines, contrary to service standing orders, further complicating the living and operational conditions for the officers. Despite the launch of the Kenya Police Housing Scheme, many houses have remained incomplete for years without clear reasons why projects were not finished as planned.
Keywords: Financial resource management, Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects, Cost Budgeting, Project completion
Figure 2: Police houses. (Photo/hobotraveller.com)
Source: https://hivisasa.com/posts/it-is-time-our-law-enforcers-get-decent-houses
INTRODUCTION
In developing countries, construction of projects worldwide encounters challenges such as funding shortages, cost unpredictability, delays, and conflicts between project objectives. These issues affect feasibility, cost, and schedule performance, impacting the successful completion of projects in different regions. In recent years, nearly all housing authorities in developing nations have agreed that the vast bulk of shelter and housing for medium and low-income groups is and will continue to be given by individual effort by people to build their own houses. Similarly, according to national housing policy for Kenya Sessional Paper no 3 of 2004, the institutional housing state of affairs for Kenya prisons and Kenya police personnel has over time deteriorated forcing males and females in the disciplined forces to live in awful homes and a segment of them stay in poor conditions where there can be at least four families sharing a residence intended for one family thereby compromising the privacy of everybody.
For several years, the crisis of police housing has been a source of serious and ongoing debate in the National Assembly and the police formation cycle. In all of these debates, one major solution has been the agitation for the provision of resources to fund adequate and decent houses for the police set to relieve pressure on police officers who have previously been forced to share accommodation units due to an acute housing shortage. Despite the fact that the Kenya Police Housing Scheme was launched, the majority of the residences have yet to be finished. Housing projects in Thika and Kikuyu began on January 3, 20, and as of October 3, 2007, none had been finished. There were no known reasons why the Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects were not completed years after they were supposed to.
Kenya Police Officers have been forced to live outside the police lines which are against the service standing orders. The majority of the delays in the completion of Kenyan police projects can be ascribed to poor construction resource management. This is marked by a lack of a functional facility resource management system, insufficient human and material resource management, and a lack of knowledge in information technology resource management. For several years, the crisis of police housing has been a source of serious and ongoing debate in the National Assembly and the police formation cycle. In all of these debates, one major solution has been the agitation for the provision of resources to fund adequate and decent houses for the police set to relieve pressure on police officers who have previously been forced to share accommodation units due to an acute housing shortage. Therefore, this study aimed at establishing the relationship between financial resource management and completion of Kenya Police housing Scheme projects in Kenya.
Figure 3: Migosi police houses building in Kisumu County which is currently under construction. Over 100 police from Kisumu will benefit from 180 million national government police housing project.
Kenya Police Housing Scheme Projects
Housing conditions for Kenyan police officers have been inadequate and demoralizing, with cramped and dilapidated accommodations (Gitonga, 2020). Despite the government’s initiation of housing improvement projects in 2020, progress has been inconsistent, leaving some projects unfinished and completion dates uncertain. The National Police Service faces a backlog of 40,000 housing units required to meet officers’ demand (NPSC, 2019). Funding constraints and disparities in housing allowances have impeded project completion, highlighting concerns about officers’ welfare and working conditions (Kieti, 2020).
Project managers play a crucial role in executing projects on schedule and within budget. However, the construction industry often experiences delays and poor performance, leading to failure in achieving effective time and cost performance. This is a common phenomenon, especially in government projects in Malaysia (DeCenzo et al., 2016). A study in Malaysia identified the top three factors causing cost overruns in large construction projects: fluctuation of materials, cash flow and financial difficulties faced by contractors, and poor site management and supervision (Kusters et al., 2018).
In Nigeria, completing projects within the initial cost and time has proven to be challenging due to various factors, such as estimating risks, defects in design, inflation, contractor competence, and political uncertainty (Sayles, 2017). Project delays and poor performance are also prevalent in Pakistan’s construction industry, often attributed to natural disasters, financial issues, poor planning, and insufficient site organization (Thapa et al., 2017). Similar observations of delay issues in the construction field have been made in Morocco, where errors in budget assessment, architecture, and engineering program volatility, and construction site hazards contribute to deadline slippage (Boella & Goss-Turner, 2019).
In Kenya, projects, including those in the Kenya Police Housing Scheme, face challenges in meeting completion requirements, resulting in cost overruns, delays, and poor quality (Chirkunova et al., 2016). Overall, delays and poor performance are common issues across different countries’ construction projects, impacting timely and budgeted project completion and affecting overall effectiveness and stakeholder satisfaction.
Problem Statement
In developing countries, construction projects worldwide encounter challenges such as funding shortages, cost unpredictability, delays, and conflicts between project objectives. These issues affect feasibility, cost, and schedule performance, impacting the successful completion of projects in different regions. In recent years, nearly all housing authorities in developing nations have agreed that the vast bulk of shelter and housing for medium and low-income groups is and will continue to be provided by individual effort by people to build their own houses. Similarly, according to the national housing policy for Kenya Sessional Paper no 3 of 2004, the institutional housing state of affairs for Kenya prisons and Kenya police personnel has over time deteriorated forcing males and females in the disciplined forces to live in awful homes and a segment of them stay in poor conditions where there can be at least four families sharing a residence intended for only one family thereby compromising the privacy of everyone.
For several years, the crisis of police housing has been a source of serious and ongoing debate in the National Assembly and the police formation cycle. In all of these debates, one major solution has been the agitation for the provision of resources to fund adequate and decent houses for the police set to relieve pressure on police officers who have previously been forced to share accommodation units due to an acute housing shortage. Despite the fact that the Kenya Police Housing Scheme was launched, the majority of the residences have yet to be finished. Housing projects in Thika and Kikuyu began on January 31, 2011, and as of October 31, 2017, none had been finished. There were no known reasons why the Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects were not completed years after they were supposed to.
A critical conceptual gap in the research is the lack of a defined theoretical framework that bridges the detailed contextual challenges of resource management with empirical outcomes. The complexity and interconnectivity of resource allocation, participatory monitoring, and project outcomes lack a rigorous analytical grounding in current theoretical discussions, thus obscuring the pathway from observed problems to proposed solutions. This gap suggests a need for a deeper examination of the theoretical underpinnings that could better explain the persistent failures and propose more structured interventions.
Kenya Police Officers have been forced to live outside the police lines which is against the service standing orders. The majority of the delays in the completion of Kenyan police projects can be ascribed to poor construction resource management. This is marked by a lack of a functional facility resource management system, insufficient human and material resource management, and a lack of knowledge in information technology resource management. For several years, the crisis of police housing has been a source of serious and ongoing debate in the National Assembly and the police formation cycle. In all of these debates, one major solution has been the agitation for the provision of resources to fund adequate and decent houses for the police set to relieve pressure on police officers who have previously been forced to share accommodation units due to an acute housing shortage.
Despite the fact that the Kenya Police Housing Scheme was launched, the majority of the residences have yet to be finished. The building of substandard housing units has resulted in substantial losses of public monies due to ineffective participatory monitoring and assessment designs. Other issues contributing to the phenomenon, such as treasury delays in releasing funds and a lack of people, have contributed to the sluggish completion rates of several Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects across the country.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Chekotilo, Abramkina and Kichigina (2020) assessed the subsystem of financial resources management of university projects is considered in the framework of implementation of Flagship Universities Development program. The mechanism of analytics support of project financing is presented. The creation of financial resources management information system of Flagship University’s Development Program projects on the basis of the corporate information system became possible due to this model. The system automates the processes of planning the expenditure of the Development Program funds for action item within the framework of university strategic projects. At the same time, all accompanying the project implementation financial risks are taken into account at the planning stage as much as possible. The system provides operative monitoring of project implementation not only in terms of expenditure budget and co-financing funds, but also in terms of achieving headline indicators and targets. The proposed system might be an effective tool for improving the quality of financial management of the organizations.
Aradukunda and Sikubwabo (2024) examined the impact of financial resource management on project performance. The target population of the study was 312 employees of Kigali City and out of them a sample size of 175 employees were selected by using stratified sampling technique. Questionnaires, interview guides and documents were used as data collection tools. Data was processed through editing, coding and tabulation and the data also was analysed by using descriptive statistics. Findings indicated that there is a significance relationship between financial resources management and City of Kigali’s project performance; and it was found that holding all the financial resources management to a constant zero, project performance of Kigali City will be 30.6 percent, a unit increase in the use of financial resource planning will lead to a 0.731% improvement in project performance in Kigali City, the use of financial resource management will lead to a 1% improvement in project performance in Kigali City. The regression analysis revealed significant coefficients indicating the impact of financial resource management on project performance in Kigali City. With a constant of 0.346, when financial resource management is absent, the project performance is estimated to be 30.6%. For every unit increase in financial resource planning, there is a corresponding 0.731% rise in project performance (Beta = 0.731, t = 6.008, p < 0.001), and similarly, a 1% increase in financial resource control leads to enhanced project performance (Beta = 0.500, t = 2.550, p = 0.025). Notably, financial resource planning exerts the strongest influence on project performance, followed by financial resource control. Both variables demonstrated statistical significance, with p-values of 0.000 and 0.025 respectively, at a 95% confidence level. Thus, all factors examined are deemed significant (p < 0.05).
Rwamba, Mutuku and Sang (2024) sought to evaluate the influence of financial resources scheduling on the performance of road construction projects in Nairobi Metropolitan, Kenya. The research was based on resource dependence theory. A descriptive design as well as the cross-sectional survey was used. The population of interest for this study consisted of 39 road construction projects being implemented by Kenya Urban Roads Authority and Kenya National Highway Authority within the Nairobi metropolitan area. A semi structured questionnaire was utilized to collect primary data. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study results revealed projects resource scheduling had a positive and significant effect on project performance of road construction projects in Nairobi Metropolitan, Kenya. The study concludes that effective financial resource scheduling enables that organization to manage risk that may occur from changes in the project’s outcome.
Approach
The study employed a pragmatic paradigm, which supports the integration of both quantitative and qualitative methods, enabling a multifaceted exploration of compliance with occupational safety and health practices among medical laboratory staff at Kenyatta National Hospital. This paradigm is particularly advantageous in studies that aim to solve real-world problems, where a holistic understanding of diverse variables is critical. By leveraging the flexibility of the pragmatic approach, the research could adaptively employ the most effective tools and strategies to gather and analyze data, ensuring findings that are both robust and applicable to real-life settings.
An explanatory cross-sectional design was adopted for this study. This design is particularly suited for investigations aiming to ascertain prevalence and explore correlations within a defined population at a single point in time. By focusing on a snapshot view, the design facilitates a clearer understanding of the dynamics at play within the specific timeframe of the fiscal years 2020/2021 to 2023/2024, without the complexities that longitudinal data might introduce.
The target population encompassed all ongoing police housing scheme projects in 8 regional blocks in Kenya, with the units of observation being the 2134 respondents engaged in these projects. These included a diverse group of professionals ranging from project architects to Ministry of Public Works officials, each bringing a unique perspective essential for a comprehensive analysis. The sample size of 337, calculated using Yamane’s (1967) formula, ensured a balance between thorough coverage and manageability of data collection. Stratified random sampling was pivotal in capturing representative data from each subgroup within the broader population, thus maintaining the integrity and balance of the research sample.
Data collection was primarily conducted using self-administered structured questionnaires and detailed interview guides. Recognizing potential concerns with self-administered questionnaires regarding respondent bias and data reliability, several measures were implemented:
Pre-testing: The questionnaire was rigorously pre-tested among a subset of the target population. This pilot phase helped identify ambiguities and refine the questions to ensure clarity and relevance, which significantly reduced potential misunderstandings and enhanced the reliability of responses.
Rationale for Choice: The choice of self-administered questionnaires was driven by their efficacy in collecting data across a widespread geographic area efficiently and their ability to reduce interviewer bias, allowing respondents to provide more candid responses.
Moreover, training sessions for administrators of the questionnaires were conducted to standardize the delivery and retrieval process. These sessions emphasized the importance of maintaining uniformity in questionnaire administration, which is critical to mitigating biases and errors in data collection.
Data was analyzed through a dual approach; quantitative data was processed using descriptive and inferential statistics to identify central tendencies and variability, and to explore relationships between variables using methods like Pearson’s correlation and regression analysis. Qualitative data were handled with NVivo 12, which supported detailed coding and thematic analysis. This rigorous approach to data management and analysis ensured that emergent themes were robustly supported by the data, and that quantitative relationships were statistically validated. To further ensure the validity and reliability of the findings, member checking was performed with selected participants, which allowed the research team to confirm the accuracy and resonance of the interpreted data with those who provided it.
FINDINGS
Descriptive Analysis
Table 1: Financial Resource Management and Completion of Kenya police housing scheme projects
| Statements on1 Financial Resource1 Management | SD F(%) | D F(%) | N F(%) | A F(%) | SA F(%) | Mean | Std. Dev. |
| The1 budgeting process1 in1 the1 projects1 is1 inclusive1 and1 wide1 consultations1 take1 place | 29 (17.8) | 21 (12.9) | 21 (12.9) | 69 (42.3) | 23 (14.1) | 3.221 | 0.838 |
| Budgets1 for previous1 years1 and1 their actualizations1 inform the1 future1 years1 budgets | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 68 (41.7) | 95 (58.3) | 4.583 | 0.995 |
| Providing adequate1 financial support for initial activities1 (related1 to establishment of project objectives1 and1 design1 criteria) is1 a critical step | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 63 (38.7) | 100 (61.3) | 4.614 | 0.988 |
| Inadequate1 capitalization1 can1 create1 adverse1 impacts1 (e.g. inadequate1 staffing, delays1 in1 delivery, equipment failure, or shortages1 of construction1 materials) that hamper Police1 housing Scheme1 projects’ ability to deliver quality service. | 16 (9.8) | 9 (5.5) | 10 (6.1) | 57 (35.0) | 71 (43.6) | 3.969 | 0.769 |
| In1 some1 cases, designers1 and/or contractors1 are1 able1 to enhance1 overall project quality by offering the1 financial management and1 consulting services. | 14 (8.6) | 29 (17.8) | 17 (10.4) | 62 (38.0) | 41 (25.2) | 3.534 | 0.778 |
| We1 ensure1 that proper construction1 accounting systems1 are1 set up and1 are1 functioning properly. | 14 (8.6) | 9 (5.5) | 8 (4.9) | 61 (37.4) | 71 (43.6) | 4.018 | 0.720 |
| We1 project the1 costs1 at completion1 for the1 projects1 and1 ensure1 that unbilled1 committed1 costs1 are1 included1 in1 these1 projections. | 21 (12.9) | 25 (15.3) | 29 (17.8) | 81 (49.7) | 7 (4.3) | 3.172 | 0.647 |
| We1 make1 sure1 that the1 needed1 financial statements1 have1 been1 prepared | 21 (12.9) | 22 (13.5) | 31 (19.0) | 82 (50.3) | 7 (4.3) | 3.196 | 0.638 |
| Sub-composite1 mean1 and1 standard1 deviation | 3.788 | 0.797 |
The findings revealed that the statement that the budgeting process in the projects is inclusive and wide consultations take place, 69 (42.3%) of the respondents agreed, 29 (17.8%) strongly disagreed, 23 (14.1%) strongly agreed, 21 (12.9%) disagreed, and 21 (12.9%) were undecided. The mean was 3.221 and standard deviation was 0.838. The item had a mean score lower than the composite mean of 3.788 implying that the budgeting process in the county is not inclusive and therefore wide consultations do not take place. Further, the standard deviation was above the sub-composite standard deviation of 0.797 implying that the opinions were inconsistent.
On the aspect that budgets for previous years and their actualizations inform the future years budgets, 95 (58.3%) of the respondents strongly agreed, while 68 (41.7%) agreed. The mean was 4.583 and standard deviation was 0.995. The item had a mean score above the composite mean of 3.788 implying that budgets for previous years and their actualizations inform the future years budgets. Further, the standard deviation was above the sub-composite standard deviation of 0.797 implying that the opinions were inconsistent.
Regarding that providing adequate financial support for initial activities (related to establishment of project objectives and design criteria) is a critical step, 100 (61.3%) of the respondents strongly agreed, and 63 (38.7%) agreed. The mean was 4.614 and standard deviation was 0.988. The item had a mean score above the composite mean of 3.788 implying that providing adequate financial support for initial activities (related to establishment of project objectives and design criteria) is a critical step. Further, the standard deviation was above the sub-composite standard deviation of 0.797 implying that the opinions were inconsistent.
Regarding that inadequate capitalization can create adverse impacts (e.g. inadequate staffing, delays in delivery, equipment failure, or shortages of construction materials) that hamper Police housing Scheme projects’ ability to deliver quality service, 71 (43.6%) of the respondents strongly agreed, 57 (35.0%) agreed, 16 (9.8%) strongly disagreed, 10 (6.1%) were undecided, while 9 (5.5%) disagreed. The mean was 3.969 and standard deviation was 0.769. The item had a mean score above the composite mean of 3.788 implying that inadequate capitalization can create adverse impacts (e.g. inadequate staffing, delays in delivery, equipment failure, or shortages of construction materials) that hamper Police housing Scheme projects’ ability to deliver quality service. Further, the standard deviation was lower than the sub-composite standard deviation of 0.797 implying that the opinions converged.
Regarding that in some cases, designers and/or contractors are able to enhance overall project quality by offering the financial management and consulting services, 62 (38.0%) of the respondents agreed, 41 (25.2%) strongly agreed, 29 (17.8%) disagreed, 17 (10.4%) were undecided, while 14 (8.6%) strongly disagreed. The mean was 3.534 and standard deviation was 0.778. The item had a mean score lower than the composite mean of 3.788 implying that in some cases, designers and/or contractors are not able to enhance overall project quality by offering the financial management and consulting services. Further, the standard deviation was lower than the sub-composite standard deviation of 0.797 implying that the opinions converged.
Regarding the aspect that they ensure that proper construction accounting systems are set up and are functioning properly, 71 (43.6%) of the respondents strongly agreed, 61 (37.4%) agreed, 14 (8.6%) strongly
disagreed, 9 (5.5%) disagreed, and 8 (4.9%) were undecided. The mean was 4.018 and standard deviation was 0.720. The item had a mean score above the composite mean of 3.788 implying that they ensure that proper construction accounting systems are set up and are functioning properly. Further, the standard deviation was lower than the sub-composite standard deviation of 0.797 implying that the opinions converged.
Regarding that they project the costs at completion for the projects and ensure that unbilled committed costs are included in these projections, 81 (49.7%) of the respondents agreed, 29 (17.8%) were undecided, 25 (15.3%) disagreed, 21 (12.9%) strongly disagreed, and 7 (4.3%) strongly agreed. The mean was 3.172 and standard deviation was 0.647. The item had a mean score lower than the composite mean of 3.788 implying that they do not project the costs at completion for the projects and do not ensure that unbilled committed costs are included in these projections. Further, the standard deviation was lower than the sub-composite standard deviation of 0.797 implying that the opinions converged.
On the item, they make sure that the needed financial statements have been prepared, 82 (50.3%) of the respondents agreed, 31 (19.0%) were undecided, 22 (13.5%) disagreed, 21 (12.9%) strongly disagreed, and 7 (4.3%) strongly agreed. The mean was 3.196 and standard deviation was 0.638. The item had a mean score lower than the composite mean of 3.788 implying that they do not make sure that the needed financial statements have been prepared. Further, the standard deviation was lower than the sub-composite standard deviation of 0.797 implying that the opinions converged.
Correlation analysis
Correlation analysis was carried out so as to establish the direction and magnitude of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables under investigation as shown in Table 2. This was in line with the objective of this study which was establish how financial resource management influences completion of Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects in Kenya.
Table 2: Correlation between Financial Resource Management and Completion of Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects
| Financial resource management | ||
| Completion1 of Kenya Police1 Housing Scheme1 projects | Pearson1 Correlation | . 603 |
| Sig. (2-tailed) | .000 |
The findings indicate strong correlation between the completion of Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects and financial resource management had r= 0.603 and p=0.000 which was less than 0.05 therefore implying that it was significant. There was therefore a strong correlation between the completion of Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects and financial resource management.
Regression Analysis
Data was analyzed and the regression results for the influence of financial resource management on completion of Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects in Kenya as in Table 3.
Table 3: Regression Analysis of Influence of Financial resource management and Completion of Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects
| Model Summary | ||||||
| Model | R | R Square | Adjusted R Square | Std. Error of the Estimate | ||
| 1 | . 603 | .364 | .360 | .272 | ||
| ANOVA | ||||||
| Model | Sum of Squares | Df | Mean Square | F | Sig | |
| 1 | Regression | 6.839 | 1 | 6.839 | 92.148 | 1.55E-17 |
| Residual | 11.949 | 161 | 0.074 | |||
| Total | 18.788 | 162 | ||||
| Regression Coefficients | ||||||
| Model | Unstandardized Coefficients | Standardized Coefficients | t | Sig. | ||
| B | Std. Error | Beta | ||||
| 1 | (Constant) | 11.072 | 2.263 | 4.892 | .000 | |
| Financial resource management | .667 | .070 | .603 | 9.510 | .000 | |
| Predictors: (constant), Financial resource management | ||||||
| Dependent Variable: Completion of Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects | ||||||
The findings show that r=0.603. This indicates that financial resource management has a strong relationship with completion of Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects in Kenya. R2 = 0.364 indicating that financial resource management explains 36.4% of the variations in the completion of Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects in Kenya.
The overall F statistics, (F =92.148, p<1.55E-17<0.05), indicated that there was a very statistically significant relationship between financial resource management and completion of Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects in Kenya. The null hypothesis was therefore rejected and it was concluded that financial resource management significantly influences completion of Kenya Police Housing Scheme projects in Kenya.
Qualitative Analysis
The participants from the interviews emphasized that they were in a position to deal with bad debts. This was done by the government through the Ministry of Lands, Public Works and Housing inviting investors to construct the houses. Further, in line with whether the projects have access to working capital for the construction of the housing scheme projects if needed. Participant P18 said, “Police and members of the Kenya Prisons are among the beneficiaries for social housing by the government. Treasury Cabinet Secretary released budget estimates for the public servants housing mortgage scheme and the National Housing Development Fund “as a contribution by government for its employees.” The police now access affordable mortgage loans to enable them acquire homes. This is after the government injected Sh1 billion to the Kenya Mortgage Refinance Company (KMRC) and credit lines from the World Bank and the African Development Bank.”
On the ways that the interviewers thought the financial resource management influenced completion of Kenya police housing scheme projects, participant P2 stated, “…Financial project management aimed to keep projects within set budgets. In doing so, financial management for projects on an individual level not only helps you organize and manage projects better but also positively impacts business growth.”
Policy Recommendations
Short-term
Accurate Cost Estimation and Financial Controls:
- Recommendation: County management should
prioritize and strictly adhere to practices such as accurate cost estimation, budgeting, and cost controlling to ensure the completion of housing projects on time and within budget.
- Challenge: Achieving accurate cost estimations can be difficult due to fluctuating material costs and unpredictable economic conditions, which may lead to budget overruns.
Inclusive Budgeting Process:
- Recommendation: Ensure that the budgeting process is more inclusive and involves wider consultations to align budgets with realistic project requirements and prevent overruns.
- Challenge: Inclusivity can be hampered by limited stakeholder engagement and resistance from project teams accustomed to traditional budgeting approaches, potentially leading to misalignment with ground realities.
Allocation of Initial Financial Resources:
- Recommendation: Ensure that adequate financial resources are allocated for the initial stages of the project, including setting up project objectives and design criteria, to avoid delays and ensure proper project foundation.
- Challenge: Initial funding is often constrained by immediate fiscal pressures, leading to underfunding of the foundational project stages which are critical for long-term success.
Stakeholder Involvement in Financial Decisions:
- Recommendation: Ensure that all relevant stakeholders, including financial experts, contractors, and police officials, are involved in financial decision-making processes to create more accurate and feasible financial plans.
- Challenge: Coordinating multiple stakeholders with varying interests can lead to conflicts and delays in decision-making, impacting project timelines and costs.
Construction Accounting Systems:
- Recommendation: Establish and maintain proper construction accounting systems to track expenses, ensure transparency, and avoid financial mismanagement.
- Challenge: Implementing and maintaining sophisticated accounting systems requires skilled personnel and can be costly, posing a challenge in resource-limited settings.
Long-term
Sustainable Financial Management Framework:
- Recommendation: Develop and institutionalize a sustainable financial management framework for large-scale projects like the Kenya Police Housing Scheme, designed to be flexible and adaptable to changing financial conditions.
- Challenge: Establishing a framework that is both robust and adaptable involves continuous updating and improvement, which can be difficult to sustain without consistent policy support and funding.
Training and Capacity Building:
- Recommendation: Invest in training and capacity-building programs for local government and police officials in financial resource management to better handle the complexities of large-scale housing projects.
- Challenge: Sufficient funding and resources for ongoing training programs are challenging to secure, and there may be a lack of existing local expertise to provide the necessary training.
Public-Private Partnerships:
- Recommendation: Explore long-term partnerships between the government and the private sector to ensure a continuous flow of financial resources, helping to minimize dependency on government funding alone.
- Challenge: Establishing effective and equitable partnerships requires careful negotiation to balance public and private interests, which can be complex and time-consuming.
Monitoring and Auditing Systems:
- Recommendation: Establish a robust system for continuous monitoring of financial and construction progress, including independent audits, regular reviews, and feedback mechanisms to ensure projects are executed according to plans.
- Challenge: Continuous monitoring and independent audits require significant ongoing investment and can face resistance from within project teams or from stakeholders wary of oversight.
Policy Consistency:
- Recommendation: Ensure there is consistency in the policies governing the completion of housing projects. Long-term policy alignment across government departments and with the police service will help minimize bureaucratic delays and streamline project execution.
- Challenge: Political changes and shifts in administrative priorities can disrupt policy consistency, leading to project delays and increased costs.
REFERENCES
- Aradukunda, A. & Sikubwabo, C. (2024). Influence of Financial Resources Management on Project Performance in Public Institutions: A Case of Kigali City (2018–2022). African Journal of Empirical Research. https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.5.2.35
- Boella, M. J., & Goss-Turner, S. (2019). Human Resource Management in the Hospitality Industry: A Guide to Best Practice (6th ed.). Routledge.
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- National Police Service Commission (NPSC). (2019). Annual Report for FY 2012/2018: Transforming the Police. Nairobi: NPSC.
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- Sayles, L. R. (2017). Managing Large Systems: Organizations for the Future. New York: Routledge.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am particularly grateful to my supervisors, Prof. Angeline Mulwa, Prof. Dorothy Ndunge Kyalo, and Dr. Thomas Ombati, who went out of their way to guide me, support me, and to ensure that this thesis is done and done well. Their suggestions and corrections gave my work a course that led to it taking a professional form. Not forgetting all my lecturers in the School of Open and Distance Learning for being there when I needed clarification on various issues concerning document writing.
I would also like to acknowledge my classmates at the university, especially the PhD 2019 class. It wouldn’t have been any easier without the discussions, e-mails, and phone calls on the way forward.
Last but not least, I wish to thank the management of the University of Nairobi, especially the administrators at the Management Science and Project Planning Department, for the support they have shown me throughout this period. I would also like to thank all the respondents who participated in the study and the research assistants who assisted me in data collection.
Authors
Dr. Nathan Stephen Mwangangi
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.
Author(s) Contribution Statement
All authors contributed to manuscript revision, read, and approved the submitted version.
Funding Sources
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.