Kenya is losing billions of shillings on unfinished public projects, with recent data indicating that over Sh600 billion has already been wasted due to poor planning, corruption, and weak supervision.
The Project Management Institute (PMI), which trains and certifies project managers globally, warns that these stalled initiatives are not only slowing national development but also undermining investor confidence.
The abandoned projects span infrastructure, water, energy, and ICT sectors. High-profile examples include the Aror and Kimwarer dams, launched with fanfare and large budgets, yet still incomplete years later.
Alan Maturu, PMI’s Director of Education and Professional Development, said the impact goes beyond individual projects, affecting the wider economy.
“These failures not only stall growth but also deny Kenyans the benefits of investments meant to transform their lives. From dams and roads to ICT systems, money has been poured into projects that remain unfinished or fail to deliver value,” he said.
PMI Kenya President Maureen Mbithi pointed out that many challenges stem from corruption, unnecessary bureaucracy, delayed contractor payments, and unqualified project managers.
“Many initiatives are being run by people who are unqualified in the project management space. We need professional project managers in every project to ensure efficiency and accountability,” Mbithi said.
The institute estimates that Kenya currently has 150,000 certified project managers but will require 247,000 by 2035. PMI is promoting its 16 certifications covering construction, sustainability, and risk management to address this shortfall.
Maturu emphasized that project failures often occur when engineers, architects, and other experts are poorly coordinated.
“We want to make sure you cannot call yourself a project manager unless you’re actually certified,” he said. “This would bind professionals to a code of ethics and prevent common failures like collapsed buildings or roads without proper drainage.”
To curb wastage, PMI is lobbying Parliament to approve legislation that would regulate project management and exclude unqualified individuals from handling state projects.
“Countries like China excel because anyone involved in project management is a certified professional bound by codes of ethics and global best practices. Kenya must move in the same direction,” Mbithi added.
