TITLE:
Influence of Risk Management Strategies in Building Projects in Kenya: A Case of Kisii County
AUTHORS:
Enock Nyanumba Ayuka, Gwaya Adednego, Winja Mathew
KEYWORDS:
Construction Industry, Contractual Arrangements, Principal Component Analysis, Project Delivery, Risk Management
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Civil Engineering,
Vol.15 No.4,
October
24,
2025
ABSTRACT: The construction industry is a major driver of Kenya’s economic growth, yet it continues to face challenges of cost overruns, delays, and quality deficiencies. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of clarity on how contractual arrangements influence risk management in building projects. Using a descriptive cross-sectional survey of 42 respondents across clients, contractors, and consultants in Kisii County, the study employed both descriptive and inferential statistics. Principal component analysis (PCA) and regression modeling were applied to examine relationships between contractual arrangements and risk management outcomes. The findings established that 27 risk factors significantly affect project delivery, of which 23 were consistent across ranking approaches. The most critical risks identified included information unavailability, adverse weather conditions, defective specifications, delayed payments, and design variations. PCA results revealed that risks cluster into two categories: cost-time-quality and environment-health-safety, underscoring their interdependencies. The study concludes that contractual arrangements directly influence risk allocation and mitigation effectiveness. It recommends that policymakers and practitioners prioritize robust documentation, improved site investigations, streamlined payment systems, and stronger risk allocation frameworks. Future research should explore contract-specific risk governance models and the integration of sustainability drivers into contractual clauses to strengthen resilience in project delivery.