Strategic Risk Mitigation and Its Influence on Selected Road Construction Projects Delivery in Kenya

Abstract

To assess the effect of risk mitigation strategies on project delivery, this study focused on three Kenyan roads: the 27 km Nairobi Expressway (A8), the 172 km Isebania-Kisii-Ahero (A1) corridor, and the 219 km Kenol-Isiolo highway (A2). Structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data, supplemented by secondary data from reputable web sources. The analysis employed both descriptive and inferential statistics. Using SPSS version 26, a moderated hierarchical multiple linear regression model was fitted to evaluate how dynamic capabilities influenced the relationship between risk management strategies and road project delivery outcomes. The model showed the predictors accounted for 37.1% of the variance in delivery (R² = .371, Adj R² = .299). This was statistically significant, F(4, 35) = 5.167, p < .05, with the key predictor showing a significant effect (t = 6.049, p < .05). Key findings revealed that resource risk avoidance, human resource risk reduction and insurance risk transference significantly influenced road construction project delivery. While dynamic capabilities enhanced the relationship between these three strategies and project delivery, they did not moderate the effect of project control. Consequently, the study urges construction firms to deepen their application of resource risk avoidance, human resource risk reduction, and insurance transference, primarily by investing in capacity building for risk and project management.