Comparing Between the Awareness and Adoption of Sustainable Construction Practices in Kenya

Abstract

Despite the numerous advantages of adopting sustainable construction practices, the approach is reportedly not being adopted by Kenyan construction industry stakeholders as would have been expected. This research sought to evaluate the extent of awareness and adoption of sustainable construction practices. The research adopted a survey design using questionnaires with closed-ended and open-ended questions. A sample size of 217 respondents was drawn from Architectural firms, Quantity Surveying firms, Engineering firms (civil, electrical & mechanical), Construction Management firms, Construction Project Managers, Building Contractors, Property Developers, and Real Estate Agents. A response rate of 83% was achieved.   The study established a high level of awareness of 79.0% and described it as ‘a very good understanding’ based on the scale used. The overall extent of adoption of sustainable construction practices in Kenya was estimated to be 72.3%. Further, the study established a statistically significant moderate positive relationship between the extent of awareness and that of adopting sustainable construction practices. It was concluded that though the levels of awareness and adoption of sustainable construction practices in Kenya are now relatively higher compared to previous years, there still exist barriers to achieving 100% awareness and adoption. One of the recommendations made by this research is that the government needs to formulate an elaborate legal and regulatory framework for sustainable construction. Such a framework should provide clear implementation guidelines including the institutional framework, financial incentives, and penalties associated with sustainability in the construction sector