INFLUENCE OF PROJECT PLANNING ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA

Solid waste management remains a critical challenge in Nairobi City County, with only 45% of the 3,000 tonnes of daily waste being collected and properly managed, resulting in significant public health and environmental degradation. Poor project planning has been identified as a key factor contributing to the underperformance of solid waste management projects, manifesting in project delays, cost overruns, and inadequate service coverage. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which project planning influences the performance of solid waste management projects in Nairobi City County, Kenya. Grounded in system theory, the study examined how Project Management Information Systems enhance planning processes and project outcomes through integrated management of interconnected project components. The research adopted a positivist philosophy and employed a descriptive and correlational research design. A census approach was used to collect data from 156 respondents across five major solid waste management projects, achieving a 91% response rate. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression in SPSS. Regression analysis revealed that project planning significantly influences project performance (β = 0.324, p < 0.001), explaining 57.7% of the variance in performance outcomes (R² = 0.577). The findings demonstrated strong PMIS effectiveness in organizing project documents and tracking milestones, but revealed critical gaps in change log maintenance and user competency. The study concludes that comprehensive project planning is fundamental to improving solid waste management performance in Nairobi. The research recommends strengthening change management documentation, investing in user capacity building, enhancing financial monitoring mechanisms, promoting organizational learning, and ensuring sustained management commitment to systematic project planning practices.