Abstract

Control activities are policies and procedures that ensure that management directives carried out. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of control activities on operational efficiency of companies in road construction industry in Kenya. The study was guided by stewardship theory. The research adopted the descriptive research design. The target population was the road construction contractors in Kenya and licensed by the National Construction Authority of which as of 1^st July 2025 stood at 16,684 road works contractors. The sample size was 391 road works contractors, and their operations centred in Kenya. After applying Yamane (1967:886) formula, the study adopted a two-stage sampling technique. Stratified sampling technique was applied in grouping companies into NCA1 road works contractors, NCA2 road works contractors, NCA3 road works contractors, NCA4 road works contractors, NCA5 road works contractors, NCA6 road works contractors, NCA7 road works contractors and NCA8 road works contractors. Proportionate sampling was applied where a respondent was targeted in each of the 391 sampled companies. Data from NCA was my sampling frame. A pilot study was done where 40 respondents were selected randomly from the road works contractors in Kenya and the piloted respondents was not part of the study. The study collected primary data using questionnaire. Data collected was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics included mean, frequency, standard deviation, variance and percentages whereas inferential statistics. P-value and T-test statistics derived from regression analysis and Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. The study established that control activities increase operational efficiency of companies in road construction in Kenya (ꞵ=.081: p<.050). The study concluded that control activities have a significant influence relationship with operational efficiency of companies in road construction in Kenya. The study recommends that companies in road construction should be managed by qualified expertise and that the government through NCA should come out with measures of handling political interferences. The study will add value to the knowledge base of scholars through new inventory management practices that enhance operational efficiency. Management of companies in road construction industry will be aided by this study in their improved effectiveness and efficiency of running their operations. The Government through economic planners will gain insights of inventory management practices in the pursuit of Kenya vision 2030 goals.