Concerns in the construction industry in Kenya
Just as the nation is recovering from the Covid 19 pandemic and the high standards of living, a new hurdle seems to have emerged. That hurdle is the current ongoing political unrest in the country. As other industries keep getting affected, it is worth noting that construction might be resilient, but will it manage to survive this as it keeps going on?

Some factors that should be considered:
Time and cost of projects:
Time and cost are of the essence in the construction industry. Typically, a project is broken down in time and the cost is needed to complete the project. Political unrest represents one of the largest challenges, consequently leading to time overrun and cost increase for construction projects.

Investors’ belief in the market:
While money supply and investments are important to every industry in the country, there is the risk the two could suffer due to political instability in a country during elections. The fact that investors and key businessmen have already expressed fear over the stability and security of their investments ahead of the upcoming general elections, makes matters worse. According to reports, most investors are unwilling to invest in projects. They are gauging the political stability in the country before launching big projects.

Cashflow:
The lack of investors in itself, lead to cash flares, which is already affecting the construction industry. With these ongoing protests will we see more and more investors struggling to inject money to complete projects?

Conclusion:
Historically, elections interfere with the country’s economy. They statistically have significant effects on industries performances. The political situation in Kenya, like many other developing countries, is not very stable. Political Events and the occurrence of protests during the election period can disrupt many industries.

Provided the industry is among the predominant sectors in the country, it is often within the jurisdiction of political figures. As a result, is advisable for those in the construction sectors to be well prepared for any eventualities way before the elections are here.