Application of artisanal dimension stone in the building industry: factor analysis of the regulatory environment in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

This is an assessment of the regulatory environment in which artisans operate to produce dimension stone in Nairobi where the quarrying of the same becomes an aspect of artisanal mining; an activity that is fraught with regulatory issues in developing country situations. Regulation is considered in the context of formal and informal rules of engagement that provide opportunities and constraints to the artisans. A structured interview schedule was used to obtain data about the regulatory environment from a sample of key stakeholders. These data were thereafter applied to factor analysis where principal components were extracted using the Monte Carlo parallel analysis method. Four principal components were extracted and include: Component 1 is ‘environmental regulations’; Component 2 is ‘fiscal rules and regulations’; Component 3 is ‘regulatory laws and informal practices and Component 4 is ‘friendly building regulations’. The constraint components were found to outweigh the opportunities leading to the conclusion that the regulatory environment is hostile to the artisans. Keywords: artisans; dimension stone; principal component analysis; regulation