Alternative Dispute Resolution and Performance of Road Projects in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya
Abstract
Road infrastructure is fundamental to economic growth, regional connectivity, and socio-economic development. However, the performance of road projects in Kenya has continued to be affected by stakeholder conflicts arising from land acquisition disputes, delayed compensation, encroachments, and weak stakeholder coordination. These challenges have resulted in project delays, cost overruns, poor quality, and stalled implementation. This study therefore assessed the effect of alternative dispute resolution on the performance of road projects in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The study was grounded on conflict resolution theory and adopted an integrated descriptive- explanatory research design. The target population comprised contractors, Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) project engineers, resident engineers, and community leaders involved in 30 KeRRA road construction projects implemented between 2015 and 2025. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 120 respondents. Data was collected using a questionnaire. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and simple linear regression analysis techniques with the aid of SPSS. The correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between alternative dispute resolution and performance of road projects (r = 0.580). Regression analysis showed that the model was statistically significant (R² = 0.336, Adjusted R² = 0.328; F = 41.971, p = 0.000), indicating that alternative dispute resolution explained 33.6% of the variation in road project performance. The study concluded that the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms enhances the performance of road projects by facilitating timely, cost-effective, and collaborative resolution of stakeholder disputes. The study recommended that Kenya Rural Roads Authority should promote collaboration, transparency, and impartiality stakeholder participation through proper alternative dispute resolution to enhance project performance.