Monitoring and Evaluation Practices and the Performance of Kenya National Highways Authority Road Maintenance Projects in Central Region, Kenya

Road maintenance projects frequently encounter issues such as delays in completion, inadequate user satisfaction, and inconsistent quality of work. This study examined how Kenyan road maintenance projects performed in relation to Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) procedures. This research purposed to determine the impact of M&E budget allocation on the Central region's Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) road repair projects' performance. In this investigation, the guidance was drawn from the theory of constraints. This research employed descriptive survey research and targeted 24 roads under KenHA maintenance in Central region. The intended participants comprised 72 road engineers and 50 KeNHA staff from various counties in the central region. A census sample approach was employed in the study. Both closed-ended and open-ended questionnaires were used in the study. A small sample of ten road engineers working on KeNHA projects participated in a pilot study. The data was statistically analysed using SPSS version 27. The study on budget allocation in road maintenance projects found positive evaluations of budget management, with a composite mean of 4.19. Correlation analysis showed a strong positive link between budget allocation and project performance (r = 0.670, p < 0.001), while regression analysis indicated budget allocation accounts for 57.3% of performance variance (R² = 0.573). Overall, effective budget allocation for M&E activities, including training and logistics, significantly boosts project success. The study recommended that KenHA should ensure adequate allocation of M&E funds to enable training of monitoring team and for logistical support.