CASE STUDIES

 

Quality performance: The case of construction projects in the electricity industry in Kenya

 

 

N.O. Ogano; L. Pretorius

Department of Engineering and Technology Management, University of Pretoria, South Africa. nomondi@kplc.co.ke, leon.pretorius@up.ac.za

 

 

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ABSTRACT

Pressure from the Government of Kenya to have citizens connected to electricity as a means of improving their standard of living has resulted in a focus on the electricity utilities to expand the power distribution network. Contractors have therefore been approved to expedite the process. This has, however, resulted in sub-standard work being done by some of the contractors. The main objective of the research is to determine the critical factors that are instrumental in the delivery of quality construction projects for the electricity industry of Kenya. The results of the research reveal that there are areas in which the electricity utilities and the associated contractors perform poorly, indicating the need to improve the quality of completed projects.

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OPSOMMING

Druk van die regering van Kenia om sy burgers se lewenstandaard te verhoog, het aanleiding gegee tot 'n behoefte aan die vermeerdering van elektriese aansluitings. Dit het verder daartoe aanleiding gegee dat elektrisiteitsverskaffers die elektrisiteitsverspreidingsnetwerk voortdurend moes vergroot. Om die proses te verhaas, is kontrakteurs aangestel om sekere werk te doen. Dit het egter daartoe gelei dat sekere subkontrakteurs substandaard werk lewer. Die hoofdoel van die navorsing is om kritiese faktore te identifiseer wat aflewering van kwaliteit konstruksieprojekte in die elektrisiteitsindustrie van Kenia beïnvloed. Die resultate van die navorsing dui daarop dat daar areas is waar die elektrisiteitsverskaffers self asook die kontrakteurs nie na wense presteer nie. Die behoefte aan kwaliteits-verbetering in die voltooiing van projekte word geïllustreer.

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* Corresponding author
1 The author was enrolled for an MEng degree at the Graduate School of Technology Management, University of Pretoria.