Influence of Waste Management on the Performance of State-Owned Enterprises in Kenya

Public sector organizations face mounting pressure to deliver high-quality services within increasingly constrained budgetary environments, creating critical challenges in resource utilization and operational efficiency that fundamentally undermine service delivery capabilities and organizational effectiveness. Despite decades of reform initiatives, traditional management approaches within these organizations have consistently failed to systematically identify and eliminate non-value-adding activities, resulting in persistent inefficiencies. This study examined the influence of waste management practices on the performance of state-owned enterprises in Kenya. The research employed a mixed-methods approach with data collected from 320 respondents across 52 commercial state enterprises, achieving an 88% response rate, supplemented by 20 key informant interviews. The findings reveal that waste management practices have achieved moderate implementation levels within state-owned enterprises, with particular strengths in cycle time reduction and downtime minimization capabilities. Organizations demonstrated highest performance in identifying waste reduction opportunities and efficiently utilizing resources, while facing challenges in external collaboration and comprehensive recycling program implementation. Regression analysis indicated that waste management practices significantly predict organizational performance, explaining meaningful variance in performance outcomes and enabling rejection of the null hypothesis. The study concludes that waste management represents an effective pathway for enhancing public sector performance in Kenya's state-owned enterprises, requiring comprehensive organizational transformation involving employee engagement and systematic training. The research recommends systematic implementation through dedicated waste audit teams, investment in employee capabilities, technology upgrades for real-time monitoring, and development of supportive policy frameworks to facilitate broader adoption across the sector. Keywords: Waste Management, State-Owned Enterprises, Organizational Performance