Influence of Transport Management Practices on Operational Performance of Disaster and Relief Humanitarian NGOs in Kenya

Transport management is critical in humanitarian operations, particularly in ensuring timely delivery of aid to vulnerable populations. This study examines the relationship between transport management practices and the operational performance of disaster and relief humanitarian non-governmental organizations (HNGOs) in Kenya. Drawing from the Resource-Based View, Transnational Cost Theory and Social Network Theory, the research highlighted how transport scheduling, outsourcing, and last-mile delivery affect responsiveness, adaptability, and accountability. Using a descriptive-correlational design, data was collected from 80 HNGOs through structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis were conducted using SPSS. The results indicated that transport management practices have a statistically significant and strong positive impact on performance (r = 0.751, p < 0.01), explaining 56.5% of the variance in operational performance. Key practices identified include last-mile delivery innovation, route optimization, structured scheduling, and outsourcing. The study recommended targeted investment in logistics infrastructure, development of localized last-mile strategies, and formal integration of third-party logistics providers into humanitarian objectives.