Abstract: Government-sponsored rescue centres are the state's principal instrument for removing children from the streets of Nairobi, yet roughly 60 per cent of the children they rehabilitate return to the streets. This study examined the influence of four project management integration practices including resource allocation, monitoring and evaluation, stakeholder engagement and capacity building on the performance of these centres, anchored on systems theory, stakeholder theory and the theory of change. A descriptive design was adopted and a census conducted on the 56 staff of the four government-sponsored centres in Nairobi City County; 53 usable questionnaires were returned (94.6 per cent). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and simple linear regression. Capacity building was the strongest predictor of performance (r = .741; B = 0.704, t = 8.11, p < .001; R² = .549), followed by stakeholder engagement (r = .680; R² = .463) and monitoring and evaluation (r = .653; R² = .427). Resource allocation was significant but weak (r = .274; B = 0.351, p = .041; R² = .075). The ordering inverts the account staff themselves give: resource adequacy attracted the lowest ratings of any construct (M = 2.90) and dominated the open-ended responses, yet explained the least variance, while capacity building rated highest (M = 3.77) explained the most. The study concludes that funding is a necessary but weak lever in this setting and that competence, coordination and evidence use carry more of the performance load, and recommends that the county prioritise professional staffing and structured mentorship, formalise stakeholder engagement, and institutionalise monitoring and evaluation as a management process rather than a reporting obligation.
Keywords: project management integration; capacity building; monitoring and evaluation; stakeholder engagement; street children; child protection; Kenya.
Title: Project Management Integration and the Performance of Government-Sponsored Rescue Centres for Street Children in Nairobi City County, Kenya
Author: Samuel Ndung'u Wainaina, Morrisson Mutuku
International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations
ISSN 2348-7585 (Online)
Vol. 14, Issue 1, April 2026 - September 2026
Page No: 797-805
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 05-September-2026
