Kenya losing Sh600 billion to stalled projects, PMI warns
Among the most notable stalled projects are the Aror and Kimwarer dams, which were launched with huge budgets but remain incomplete years later.
Kenya is losing more than Sh600 billion in stalled and poorly managed government projects due to weak planning, corruption, and poor funds oversight, the Project Management Institute (PMI) has warned.
The global professional body, which trains and certifies project managers, says failures in how state projects are designed, financed, and executed are stalling growth, locking out investors, and denying citizens the benefits of national investments.
According to PMI, the wastage cuts across key sectors including infrastructure, technology, water, and energy.
Among the most notable stalled projects are the Aror and Kimwarer dams, which were launched with huge budgets but remain incomplete years later.
PMI’s director of education and professional development, Alan Maturu, said the losses go beyond individual cases to affect 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 chapter president Maureen Mbithi said the main causes include corruption, red tape, delayed contractor payments, and the use of unqualified people to run major initiatives.
“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,” she said.
Kenya has only 150,000 certified project managers, far short of the projected demand of 247,000 by 2035, according to PMI.
The institute is pushing for more training and uptake of its 16 certifications covering areas such as risk management, construction, and sustainability.
Mbithi said sustainability and green initiatives are now central to development, adding that without certified professionals, Kenya risks more wastage.
Maturu noted that the planning culture in government remains weak, with projects launched without adequate technical review or proper coordination among experts.
“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 address the crisis, PMI is lobbying Parliament to pass a bill regulating the profession and restricting project management to certified practitioners.
“Countries like China have excelled because anyone involved in project management is a certified professional bound by codes of ethics and global best practice. Kenya must move in the same direction,” Mbithi said.
The bill, currently under review, seeks to ensure only qualified professionals oversee major public projects.
PMI noted that the Sh600 billion already lost equals about five per cent of Kenya’s GDP, an amount large enough to fund priority sectors such as health, education, and food security.
