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2020 

 

Centralized public parking management - 
case study of county government of 
Nairobi 

 
 
Kang’ethe, Evans Mungai 
Faculty of Information Technology  
Strathmore University 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
Recommended Citation 
Kang’ethe E. M. (2020). Centralized public parking management ‐ case study of county government of Nairobi 

[Thesis, Strathmore University]. http://hdl.handle.net/11071/12157 

 
Follow this and additional works at: http://hdl.handle.net/11071/12157 

 



 

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CENTRALIZED PUBLIC PARKING MANAGEMENT 

 

CASE STUDY OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF NAIROBI 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EVANS KANG’ETHE 

090662 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of 

Master of Science in Computer Based Information Systems (MSc. CIS) at Strathmore 

University 

 

Faculty of Information Technology Strathmore University Nairobi, Kenya 

September 2020 

  



 

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Declaration 

 

I declare that this work has not been previously submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this 

or any other University. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously 

published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself. 

 

© No part of this thesis may be reproduced without the permission of the author and Strathmore University. 

 

Name: Evans Kang’ethe 

Signature ………… ……………………… 

Date ……………11.11.2020……………  

 

Approval 

The thesis of Evans Mungai Kang’ethe was reviewed and approved by the following; 

 

1. Dr. Omwenga – Chair 

2. Dr. Ozianyi – Internal Examiner 

3. Prof. Katsriku – External Examiner 

 

 

   



 

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Table of Contents 

Declaration .................................................................................................................................................... ii 

Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................... iii 

Abstract ....................................................................................................................................................... vii 

Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................... viii 

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms ............................................................................................................ ix 

Definition of Terms ....................................................................................................................................... x 

List of Figures .............................................................................................................................................. xii 

List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................... xiv 

List of Equations .......................................................................................................................................... xv 

Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 

1.1  Background ................................................................................................................................... 1 

1.2  Problem Statement ....................................................................................................................... 2 

1.3  Aim ................................................................................................................................................ 3 

1.4  Specific Objectives ........................................................................................................................ 3 

1.5  Research Questions....................................................................................................................... 3 

1.6  Justification ................................................................................................................................... 4 

1.7  Scope and Limitation ..................................................................................................................... 4 

Chapter 2: Literature Review ........................................................................................................................ 5 

2.1  Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 5 

2.2  Background on Parking Management Overview .......................................................................... 5 

  Parking Management Overview............................................................................................ 5 

  Parking Management Challenge ........................................................................................... 5 

  Concept of Parking management ......................................................................................... 6 

2.3  County Government of Nairobi Traffic and Transport Management ........................................... 6 

2.4  Efforts to Improve Parking Management ..................................................................................... 9 

  County government parking guidelines ................................................................................ 9 

2.5  Key aspects of urban logistics ..................................................................................................... 10 

  Urbanization ........................................................................................................................ 10 



 

iv 
 
 

 

  Urban logistics market segments ........................................................................................ 10 

2.6  Conceptual Frameworks ............................................................................................................. 12 

  NTES Parking Framework .................................................................................................... 12 

  Car Parking Framework ....................................................................................................... 13 

  Car Park Framework Architecture ....................................................................................... 14 

  Rea Track Parking Management Model .............................................................................. 14 

  Smart Parking System Architecture .................................................................................... 15 

  Intelligent Parking architecture .......................................................................................... 16 

2.7  Mapping Tools to Navigate Parking ............................................................................................ 17 

2.8  Conceptual Model ....................................................................................................................... 18 

Chapter 3: Research Methodology ............................................................................................................. 20 

3.1  Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 20 

3.2  Research Design .......................................................................................................................... 20 

3.3  Population and Sampling ............................................................................................................ 21 

3.4  Data Collection Instruments ....................................................................................................... 22 

  Observation ......................................................................................................................... 23 

  Document Reviewing .......................................................................................................... 23 

  Online and One on One Surveys What surveys? ................................................................ 23 

  Questionnaires – You are not explaining much in this case ............................................... 24 

  Interviews ............................................................................................................................ 24 

3.5  Application Development ........................................................................................................... 25 

  Requirements Gathering and Analysis ................................................................................ 26 

  System Design and development ........................................................................................ 26 

  System Implementation ...................................................................................................... 26 

  System Integration and Testing .......................................................................................... 27 

  System Deployment ............................................................................................................ 27 

  System Maintenance........................................................................................................... 27 

3.6  Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 27 

  Case Study Design ............................................................................................................... 27 

  Descriptive Design ............................................................................................................... 27 



 

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  Applied Research Design ..................................................................................................... 28 

  Basic vs Applied Research ................................................................................................... 28 

3.7  Research Validity ......................................................................................................................... 28 

  Research Validity ................................................................................................................. 28 

  Research Reliability ............................................................................................................. 29 

  Research Objectivity ........................................................................................................... 29 

3.8  Ethical Considerations ................................................................................................................. 29 

Chapter 4: System Architecture and Design ............................................................................................... 30 

4.1  Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 30 

4.2  Proposed Systems Architecture .................................................................................................. 30 

4.3  Requirements and System analysis ............................................................................................. 32 

  Requirements Analysis ........................................................................................................ 32 

4.4  Sequence Diagram ...................................................................................................................... 33 

4.5  System Design ............................................................................................................................. 34 

  Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) ...................................................................................... 35 

4.6  Activity Diagram .......................................................................................................................... 36 

4.7  Security Design ............................................................................................................................ 38 

4.8  Use case diagram ........................................................................................................................ 38 

4.9  Data Flow Diagram ...................................................................................................................... 39 

Chapter 5: System Implementation and Testing ........................................................................................ 41 

5.1  Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 41 

5.2  WireFrames of the Parking Management System ...................................................................... 41 

  Login Page ........................................................................................................................... 41 

  Home Page .......................................................................................................................... 42 

  Booking ............................................................................................................................... 42 

5.3  System Implementation and Testing .......................................................................................... 43 

5.4  System Components ................................................................................................................... 43 

5.5  System Implementation .............................................................................................................. 54 

5.6  System Testing ............................................................................................................................ 54 

5.7  Usability Testing .......................................................................................................................... 55 



 

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5.8  Unit Testing ................................................................................................................................. 56 

5.9  Compatibility Testing .................................................................................................................. 57 

5.10  Test Conclusions.......................................................................................................................... 58 

5.11  Software Flow ............................................................................................................................. 58 

Chapter 6: Discussions ................................................................................................................................ 59 

6.1  Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 59 

  Interface .............................................................................................................................. 59 

  Integration .......................................................................................................................... 59 

  Performance........................................................................................................................ 61 

  Efficiency ............................................................................................................................. 61 

  Accuracy .............................................................................................................................. 62 

  Maintainability .................................................................................................................... 62 

6.2  Flexibility ..................................................................................................................................... 63 

6.3  Availability ................................................................................................................................... 63 

6.4  Robustness .................................................................................................................................. 63 

6.5  Fault to Tolerance ....................................................................................................................... 64 

6.6  Usability and Accessibility ........................................................................................................... 65 

6.7  Platform Compatibility and Portability ....................................................................................... 65 

6.8  Security ....................................................................................................................................... 65 

6.9  Functionality and Correctness .................................................................................................... 65 

6.10  Contribution of the study ............................................................................................................ 66 

Chapter 7: Conclusions and Recommendations ......................................................................................... 67 

7.1  Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 67 

7.2  Recommendations ...................................................................................................................... 68 

7.3  Future works ............................................................................................................................... 69 

7.4  Limitations and Delimitations ..................................................................................................... 69 

 

  



 

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Abstract 

 

Commuting in Nairobi is part of life for anyone living within the city. This has seen the 

exponential growth of vehicles that operate within the county. The county government is in charge 

of controlling parking spaces which are limited. The methods used are mostly manual and several 

automated parking which also has limitations and is highly inefficient. Manual processes are 

lengthy with low accuracy of actual operations and accountability. This involves lots of 

manpower, which is costly, inconsistent, and inefficient. This has an effect on productivity of the 

economy since time and revenue are lost. This research will be aimed at evaluating the current 

system and finding ways to make it effective, efficient and convenient to both the county citizens 

and government. Information will be collected on the existing method used to parking 

management, analyzed to establish current gaps and a recommendation of the best approach will 

be presented. There is need for a holistic approach to managing parking in the count of Nairobi. 

A system that aggregates all parking slots centrally and identifies each uniquely. The system will 

be accessible from anywhere using a web based enabled interface. The drivers in the county will 

be able to log in and preserve slots at a defined time on a first come first serve basis. This will 

coordinate traffic flow in a more efficient way since the system is able to predict estimated number 

of vehicles expected in the city per unit of time apart from those that will be in transit and not 

stopping. It will improve the approach used to coordinate parking, people involved with the efforts 

required and the technology that is currently being used. Administration of the system will be 

centralized and accountability methods stringent. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

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Acknowledgements 

 

I am highly grateful to my support system i.e. God, family and friends for all His love, kindness, 

guidance, knowledge and wisdom. 

My supervisor too for the thoroughness and patience accorded to this project. He has played 

a very focal role of guiding me tirelessly through the process. Thank you for your invaluable 

advice, guidance and patience throughout my proposal writing. 

  



 

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List of Abbreviations and Acronyms 

CPF         -    Car Parking Framework  

GIS          -    Geographical Information System 

IoT           -    Internet of Things  

LAN        -     Local Area Network 

MCU       -     Micro Controller Unit 

RFID       -     Radio Frequency Identification 

SDLC      -     Software Development Life Cycle 

SPS          -     Street Parking Framework  

RPO        -     Recovery Point Objective 

RTO       -     Recovery Time Objective 

VMS       -    Variable Message Screen 

WLAN   -    Wireless Local Area Network 

WSN      -     Wire Sensor Network 

  



 

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Definition of Terms 

County Government -  Units of a devolved system of governance (County, 2020). 

Geographic Information Systems - a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, 

manage, and present all types of geographical data (Gunawardena, 2014) 

Internet - is the wider network that allows computer networks around the world run by companies, 

governments, universities and other organizations to talk to one another (Waweru, 2015).  

Operating System - the low-level software that supports a computer's basic functions, such as 

scheduling tasks and controlling peripherals (Wikipidea, 2020). 

Recovery Point Objective - is the age of files that must be recovered from backup storage for 

normal operations to resume if a computer, system, or network goes down as a result of a hardware, 

program, or communications failure (Gurkok). 

Recovery Time Objective - is the duration of time and a service level within which a business 

process must be restored after a disaster in order to avoid unacceptable consequences associated 

with a break in continuity (Gurkok). 

Server - a computer or computer program which manages access to a centralized resource or 

service in a network (Direct, 2005). 

Software Development Life Cycle - is a process used by the software industry to design, develop 

and test high quality software (Bedir Tekinerdogan, 2016). 

System - a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized 

scheme or method (Cambridge, 2020). 

User - a person who uses or operates something (Cambridge, 2020). 

Web Server - is a computer that stores web server software and a website's component files 

(Cambridge, 2020) . 



 

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Wireless Local Area Network - is a wireless distribution method for two or more devices that 

use high-frequency radio waves and often include an access point to the Internet (Cambridge, 

2020). 



 

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List of Figures 

Figure 2.1: Parking lot Management System .............................................................................................. 12 

Figure 2.2: Parking Floor Manager Pattern ................................................................................................. 13 

Figure 2.3 Parking Lot System Architecture ................................................................................................ 15 

Figure 2.4 Smart Parking system architecture ............................................................................................ 16 

Figure 2.5  Intelligent Parking System Architecture ................................................................................... 17 

Figure 2.6 Conceptual Model ...................................................................................................................... 19 

Figure 4.1 System Architecture ................................................................................................................... 32 

Figure 4.2 Sequence Diagram ..................................................................................................................... 34 

Figure 4.3 MySQL database extract ............................................................................................................ 35 

Figure 4.4 Entity Relationship Diagram ...................................................................................................... 36 

Figure 4.5 Activity Diagram ......................................................................................................................... 37 

Figure 4.6 Parking System Interface ........................................................................................................... 37 

Figure 4.7 Use Case Diagram ...................................................................................................................... 39 

Figure 4.8 Context Diagram ........................................................................................................................ 39 

Figure 4.9 Data Flow Diagram ..................................................................................................................... 40 

Figure 5.1  Login Wireframe ....................................................................................................................... 42 

Figure 5.2  Home page Wireframe .............................................................................................................. 42 

Figure 5.3 Booking Interface ....................................................................................................................... 42 

Figure 5.4 User Registration Page ............................................................................................................... 44 

Figure 5.5 User Login Page .......................................................................................................................... 44 

Figure 5.6 Main Menu Page ........................................................................................................................ 45 

Figure 5.7 Parking Zones and Fees .............................................................................................................. 46 

Figure 5.8 Parking Layout Overview ........................................................................................................... 47 

Figure 5.9 Hurlingham Parking Booking...................................................................................................... 47 

Figure 5.10 Westlands Parking Booking ..................................................................................................... 48 

Figure 5.11Yaya centre Total Parking Booking ........................................................................................... 48 

Figure 5.12 Mpesa Payment Prompt .......................................................................................................... 49 

Figure 5.13 MPESA C2B Validation Process ................................................................................................ 50 

Figure 5.14 Mobile phone prompt .............................................................................................................. 51 

Figure 5.15 Mpesa ...................................................................................................................................... 51 

Figure 5.16 Figure Confirmation ................................................................................................................. 51 

Figure 5.17 MPESA API Key ......................................................................................................................... 52 

Figure 5.18 Feedback Form ......................................................................................................................... 52 

Figure 5.19 Sign Out Interface .................................................................................................................... 53 

Figure 5.20 Admin Page .............................................................................................................................. 53 

Figure 5.21 Authentication Error ................................................................................................................ 55 

Figure 6.1 MPESA PIN Prompt .................................................................................................................... 60 



 

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Figure 6.2 Parking Database Schema .......................................................................................................... 62 

Figure 6.3 Amazon Web Services Datacentres ........................................................................................... 64 

  

   



 

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List of Tables 

 

Table  2.1: List of some car parks in Nairobi ................................................................................................. 8 

Table  5.1 Usability test feedback ............................................................................................................... 56 

Table  5.2:Unit Testing Table ...................................................................................................................... 57 

Table  5.3: Compatibility Testing with different operating systems ........................................................... 58 

Table  6.1 MySQL Database ........................................................................................................................ 60 

Table  6.2 Parking spot Nomenclature ........................................................................................................ 66 

 

   



 

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List of Equations 

 

Equation 3.1 Equation to Calculate Sample Size ........................................................................................ 22 

 

 



 

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Chapter 1: Introduction 

1.1 Background  

Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya. According to the last census in 2009, the population 

was at 3.1 million. It has over time grown, well over 4 million to date, with the metro area having 

resident population of around 6.5 million. The city has a history dating 1899 and has had a 

consistent growth as rural-urban migration is an on an ever upward trajectory, with citizens 

seeking employment and opportunities to make a living (Africanmodern, 2017). As the rural-to 

urban migration is on the rise, commuting in Nairobi is part of life for anyone living within it. 

This creates an immediate need for mobility and has seen the exponential growth of vehicles that 

operate within the county. Nairobi is notably the largest city in Kenya by population. 

Nairobi’s growth is consistent and sits on  a surface area of around 696 square kilometers. 

This plus the the residents’ total count, ,maps the population density per square kilometer at 4850 

or in other words 12,600 persons living with a square mile (Africanmodern, 2017). The increase 

in number of automobiles is directly proportional to the population growth is demand equally 

rises to respond to commuting needs. 

 30% of traffic pileup is caused by drivers actively searching for parking spots within the 

city .Economic activity stakeholders such as enterprises, city councils, municipalities and real 

estate developers have in the past tried to match the growing parking demands. Overtime it has 

been established that creating more parking spaces partly addresses the issue and congestion. And 

new methods of management such as parking systems seem to have a between and balanced way 

that manages demand and supply of parking. The county government is in charge of controlling 

traffic flow, in and out of the city and this includes parking spaces which are limited. The methods 

used to manage parking in Nairobi are mostly manual and several automated parking spots that 

use standalone systems.  These has limitations and is a highly inefficient service. 

 Manual processes are lengthy since they involve lots of human intervention to complete. 

This creates room for errors since financial transactions are recorded by hand and receipts issued, 

unnecessary time loss from the back and forth in the processes, lack of transparency and 

accountability as records can be altered and be predetermined, with low accuracy of actual 



 

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operations and accountability. Manpower, which is costly, inconsistent and inefficient. There is 

need for a holistic approach to managing this parking as there is still much congestion within the 

city and in turn loss of revenue to the county through gaps in the processes. This has an effect on 

productivity of the economy since time and revenue are lost. Review of this management system 

has potentially great impact on the productivity of the county economy, convenience to service 

consumers 

This research will be aimed at evaluating the current system and finding ways to make it 

effective, efficient and convenient to both the county citizens and government. It will address the 

systems used to coordinate parking, people involved with the efforts required and the technology 

that is currently being used. This in turn will advise on how best the county should approach 

parking management and the best practice which can also be emulated by other counties within 

Kenya. 

 

1.2 Problem Statement 

According to (Taniguchi, 2014), in 2010 the urban population globally was 3.5 billion  

according to a United Nation’s survey which was to see a 60% increase by the year 2030 .Freight 

transports are now rated a critical in supporting and enabling better life fo both environment and 

the people in there in urban areas . Cars only drive on average for one hour a day, and the 

remaining 23 hours they are parked somewhere (Patrick Auwerx, 2019) . 

Commuting in Nairobi is part of life for anyone living within it. This has seen the 

exponential growth of vehicles that operate within the county. The number of vehicles added to 

the traffic within Nairobi annually are increasing at an alarming rate. The county government 

predicts an increase of vehicles to 1.35m by the rear 2030 , according to the new vehicle 

registration trends . The vehicle registration arm,  National Transport and Service Authority 

(NTSA) , adds to its registers  and average 7,000 vehicles every month and almost  90,000 

annually . This, with time builds traffic outbursts if not managed properly since also the public 

service vehicles are also increasing and add onto the traffic management problem and causing 

congestion. Private vehicles and taxis contribute to the high traffic congestion in the city. Private 

vehicles are a headache when it comes to parking since they are not in a transitional state rather 



 

3 
 
 

 

most are more stationary as owners could park for more than eight hours as they work and go 

about their business. Some however have short parking hours as those of the public service 

vehicles, taxis included. 

The county government is in charge of controlling parking spaces which are limited. The 

methods used are mostly manual and several automated parking which also has limitations and is 

highly inefficient. Manual processes are lengthy with low accuracy of actual operations and 

accountability. This involves lots of manpower, which is costly, inconsistent and inefficient. 

According to the county integrated development plan for Nairobi (Nairobi, 2018), the remedy to 

parking problems is to increase the number of parking spots available and also increase pricing 

to manage demand. This research is aimed at evaluating the current system and finding ways to 

make it effective, efficient and convenient to both the county citizens and government. It will 

address the systems used to coordinate parking, people involved with the efforts required and the 

technology that is currently being used. 

1.3 Aim 

The aim of this research is to critically assess the current parking management approach 

and establish strengths and weaknesses to create a better parking management system. It will 

review processes and then recommend the best system functionalities to improve its efficiency in 

service to citizens.  

1.4 Specific Objectives 

i) To identify the factors that influence parking management in the  county of Nairobi . 

ii) To investigate the feasibility of implementing a centralized parking management system across 

the county .  

iii) To review the current parking system implemented. 

iv) To develop a parking system whose architecture is web based . 

v) To analyse how cities in other countries manage their parking systems . 

1.5 Research Questions 

i) What are the factors that influence parking management in the county of Nairobi? 

ii) How feasible is a centralized parking management system in the county? 

iii) What is the current system being used by the county? 



 

4 
 
 

 

iv) How will a web-based system architecture be achieved ? 

v) How are other cities around the world managing public parking? 

 

1.6 Justification 

With the current number of vehicles accessing the Nairobi county per day on the rise, 

parking efficiency is really low and has had a negative impact when it comes to time, decrease in 

the county’s (Gross Domestic Product) GDP , convenience and accountability . The trend is 

expected to get worse since the numbers are growing exponentially and the county hasn’t had an 

optimal solution to the management of parking system. This means that more time will be lost, 

GDP gains are bound to be foregone and civilians will be more inconvenienced to access the city. 

With this in mind, there is need to have some organization that systemizes the whole approach to 

parking management. This research is aimed at understanding the current approach to parking 

management, reviewing it and making the best recommendations to improve the access to the 

service by county citizens. 

 

1.7 Scope and Limitation  

The study will focus on the Nairobi county parking management process. This implies that 

the data collected will inform decisions to be made that do not necessarily apply to other counties 

that have different challenges. However, over time, if the implementation is successful within 

Nairobi county, other counties can customize the process based on their need. The study will also 

be focussed on available parking spaces that are within the control of the county government since 

the data will produce more accurate data that can be used to make informed decisions during 

recommendations. The study will also seek to develop an automated system that streamlines all 

the process with checks and balances with respect to parking management.  

  



 

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Chapter 2: Literature Review 

2.1 Introduction 

While evaluating the methods and practises of parking management solutions, this chapter 

assesses substantial amounts of data from archives accumulated over time on this subject. This 

knowledge archives are developed by various researchers who have overtime developed working 

concepts around the world around the subject matter. In that case this chapter identifies previous 

studies that are relevant to improving the current parking management gaps in the context of the 

Nairobi county  giving findings that address the research question s and problem plus the overall 

objectives specified in the first chapter of this study  

2.2 Background on Parking Management Overview 

 Parking Management Overview 

Cities around the world are the hub of economic activities. Industries, corporate 

organization’s offices, financial institution, logistic service providers, hospitals, government 

offices, schools, hotels and restaurants, are emblems of a major city activities. Citizens need to 

access this institution everyday within the allowed operating hours to access varied. services. This 

leads to densely populated cities during operating hours. With citizens seeking to access the city 

within certain time windows, comes congestion of people, automobiles, security challenges and 

pollution. There is a demand for management of automobiles in and out of this city. Management 

would mean convenient, affordable and available parking when needed. 

Parking cost and availability are factors that drive consumer decisions, on whether to go to 

a certain place and sometimes even decide whether to own a car or not  . There is a likelihood of 

lower car ownership in urban cities sometimes, despite the wealth and purchasing power, 

influenced by parking spot availability. Sometimes these urban cities provide better public 

transport means  (Tom Rye, 2015). 

 Parking Management Challenge 

Continues increase of motor vehicles in urban areas has made the management of parking 

complex by the day . County governments and police find it also a very expensive exercise to 



 

6 
 
 

 

track offenders e.g people that don’t pay parking . The parking slots available are distributed 

across the city with no standards of identification. This leaves the authorities disadvantaged with 

loss of revenue since there is no method to account for parking spot usage. This exposes the city 

initiatives gaps. 

Initiatives could have different dependencies that influence how successful they are. These 

factors could be management and organization issues in the city for effective and efficient goal 

planning. Technology factors come into play as the world evolves to adopt smart capability where 

services and infrastructure are automated through systems. Governance issues contribute to 

uptake and effectiveness of this issues and not necessarily issues to do with communication and 

leadership. Governance has to do with processes of implementation with constituents who sharing 

information in a guided framework. 

Contextualizing policies leads to a smother understanding of how to use information 

systems in appropriate ways . Its characterized by urban issues, mainly institutional and creates 

conditions that enable urban development, thus making it an influencing issue. People and 

communities are a factor as initiatives creates room for their participation in governance and 

management as active members. When they are key players, they can the hve a better hand in 

influencing initiatives’ successes or failures . 

 Concept of Parking management 

Parking management concept was proposed to address the challenges of parking . Parking 

management is a major component of the county economy directly affecting productivity. It is a 

component of performance, productivity and profitability strategically. Literature dealing with is 

subject of strategy and effective management . Similarly, over the years’ efforts have been made 

to address the problems of parking management across the globe. 

2.3 County Government of Nairobi Traffic and Transport Management 

Since 1980, there has been deterioration of the quality of services in public transport and 

traffic . this is a s a result of by inadequate public transport means for the large population, rapid 

vehicles’ number increase, laxity in enforcement of regulations and lack of discipline for drivers 

and pedestrians. Time is lost while commuting and vehicles consume more fuel in snull ups 

translating to economic losses . 



 

7 
 
 

 

 Road construction projects for superhighways, bypasses are aimed at reducing this 

congestion in the county . Other strategies planned to ease congestion are elimination of the round-

a-bouts and alternative parking for motorists away from the CBD (Naiirobi County Government, 

2014). 

A survey on the parking issue by IBM in the year  2011 found that motorists use 

approximately 32 minutes looking for a parking spot . The CBD, Nairobi,  has over 9500 parking 

slots under the county council. This parking spots  are on a Car park on Taifa Rd, Sunken car park,  

(243 slots), law courts park (220 slots) and on street parking with above 10,000 vehicles accessing 

on a normal peek day (Winnie Mitullah, 2008). Each of this two off street county car parks have a 

daily turnover of approximately 700 cars which is a very small capacity compared to the number 

of vehicles. City drivers lament extra payments of additional Kshs 20 to Kshs 50 for parking boys 

every day for security , since there is a caveat by the  county government disclaimer is park at your 

own risk  (Winnie Mitullah, 2008). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

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Table  2.1 shows a list of some of the car parks in Nairobi central business District with their 

capacity.  

Table  2.1: List of some car parks in Nairobi 

Location Capacity Authority in Charge 

Sunken Car Park 243 County government 

Nairobi Law Courts 220 County Government of 

Nairobi 

Gichamu Lane  80 Private 

KICC Grounds 300 Private 

Kenyatta Avenue Near laico 

Regency 

180 Private 

Utalii Street  70 Private 

Intercontinental Hotel open 

air parking 

70 Private 



 

9 
 
 

 

 

2.4 Efforts to Improve Parking Management 

 County government parking guidelines 

The county government of Nairobi doesn’t have a clear management system for parking. 

However, it has set out some guidelines that are sometimes overlooked by users and hence affect 

efficiency and smooth flow of traffic in the urban areas especially on peak hours when the central 

business district has high rates of activity.  The following ate the listed guidelines for parking  

(Nairobi County Government, 2019). 

i. A person shall not park a motor vehicle n any other area other than a designated area. 

ii. Unless legally permitted, a person shall not stop or parka a vehicle –  

a) At an intersection nearer than ten meters to the projection of the curb line 

immediately ahead or immediately to the rear; 

b) Within ten meters on the approach to a stop sign or give way sign; 

c) Within five meters of any fire hydrant, or when hydrant is not located at the curb 

within five meters of the point on the edge of the roadway nearest to the hydrant; 

d) Within ten metres of the approach to pedestrian crossing; 

e) On a foot way; 

f) Facing oncoming traffic; 

g) on any bridge or approach to any bridge; 

h) in a passenger loading or unloading space posted as such by a traffic control device 

except when taking or discharging passengers; 

i) on any portion of a public rod posted with the sign ‘No parking’; 

j) on any space posted as a fire lane except for emergency vehicles; 

k) on any space posted for disabled persons parking unless such vehicle is designated 

as a disabled person’s vehicle; 

l) in such a manner so as to obstruct an emergency exit; 



 

10 
 
 

 

Parking on private property is also prohibited unless permission granted by owner of the 

property or a person having lawful possession or control. Trailers are also prohibited to park on a 

public road unless attached to a vehicle by which it may be propelled or drawn. 

2.5 Key aspects of urban logistics   

 Urbanization 

Global urbanization trends are leading to unique challenges to the transport system in urban 

areas and especially since population growth is projected to happen in urban areas mostly .This 

growth is majorly happening in developing countries and that translates to world least advantaged 

places are likely to experience greatest urban population expansion (UNHABITAT, 2013). 48% 

of this cities are in Asia and only a minor in Europe and North America. Africa accounts for an 

even lesser percentage ranging between 12 and 15 percent). Projections depict that large cities 

count will be 506 by 2020 up from 388 in 2010 and an additional 22 megacities. This growth will 

mostly be in Africa and Asia and supposedly Africa will have larger cities and megacities 

compared to Europe by 2020 . 

  

 Urban logistics market segments 

At the core of cites are places of production, distribution and consumption of goods and 

service .Activities ensuring that that all material based demands are met is where urban logistics 

fits  and includes transfer of goods necessary for the economy to be productive. This maybe needs 

by local enterprises such as supplies, parts consumable etc (Deblanc Laetitia, 2011) /.Cities are a 

hub of many different economic verticals/sectors . This brings about a multitude of supply chains 

that make the urban logistics complex and diverse by nature. Therefore every activity in the 

economy can be mapped to a freight generation effect that’s constant across cities (Deblanc 

Laetitia, 2011), however have different variables such as culture, size , geographical conditions, 

political environment and culture . There are different categories of urban logistics as in the next 

scenarios elaborated.   

Retail category is where several retail facilities are hosted within an urban area and they 

are the source of the bulk delivery logistics. There are two types of retails using different supply 



 

11 
 
 

 

systems.  First is the chain retailing that has a centralized supply system . This stores, by mega 

retail chains are normally managed by a central system for distribution , making consolidated 

deliveries using larger vehicles using schedules , reducing the delivery frequencies . Second to 

the chain retailing is the independent medium sized stores. The have a very different logistic 

approach and their supply is managed from the supplier desk , using their own vehicles and as a 

result the frequency of deliveries is high with three to ten in a week  (Deblanc Laetitia, 2011)), 

hat use the centralized distribution system (Cherrett et al., 2012). Therefore the larges freight 

traffic generators are independent stores . (Deblanc Laetitia, 2011) 

Consumers making shopping trips are also a source of traffic. Consumers need to purchase 

and deliver goods in this stores on their own account . They use cars, public service vehicles or 

waling and cycling . This trips to this stores to do the purchasing and the trip back, have a 

significant effect on freight energy in the stores depending transport mode and the quantity and 

distance moved during shopping . (Michael Browne, 2010).   

Couriers, Express and Parcel (CEP) are the other category and they are rated one of the 

fastest growing enterprise concepts . The deal with transport of light parcels and documents and 

parcel services move up to 30kgs of luggage . Operators in the CEP have a network of docking 

terminals for shipment used for delivery in urban areas by small vehicles and mid-sized trucks . 

A segment of the business caters for home deliveries, while for retail include deliveries 

centralized from a distribution centre with consumers taking a single trip to the retail outlet and 

returning home . Online shopping has gained market share with 5% and 8% of all retailing for 

Europe and the US respectively (Behrends, 2015) .  

Hotel, Restaurants and Catering also known as HoReCa are the other category. Significant 

freight traffic is generated from food deliveries. This industry is in the business of preparing and 

delivering for, bars, restaurants, hotels and canteens who move large masses of food and 

beverages. The nature of this orders is that they are small , unpredictable and are on JIT (Just in 

Time ) basis which increases the frequency (Behrends, 2015) . 

Construction activities are another category. The scope included roads, urban structures, 

residential properties, retail and office spaces that are constantly being built or renovated. This 

material depend on raw materials that must be supplied and delivered regularly at a specific time 



 

12 
 
 

 

place. Construction sites are about 30% of the total tonnage carried in cities  (Deblanc Laetitia, 

2011).Waste delivery is another category that generates freight traffic. This is because activities 

in the urban areas generate large amounts of waste that must be collected and moved to sites of 

disposal and recycling plants and this requires specialized type of vehicles and well-coordinated 

and scheduled pick-ups. Recycling requires specialized vehicles and dedicated pick-up tours 

(Behrends, 2015) 

2.6 Conceptual Frameworks 

There are vexatious technologies used in managing parking in the modern urban setting 

across the globe. We will be looking at the models, frameworks, and architectures currently 

existing to inform the solution development.  

 NTES Parking Framework 

This is a framework adopted in China to manage traffic flow as well and manage congestion 

due to increase in vehicles and people. The architecture is centralized with integrations that interact 

to enable smooth vehicle inflow and outflow. It’s very reliable apart from being complex and non-

interoperability which limits is duplication and re-use. 

 

 

Figure 2.1: Parking lot Management System 



 

13 
 
 

 

 

 Car Parking Framework 

The car parking framework is an integration of WSN and RFID technologies that provides 

some advanced type of features for vehicle parking management. On each vehicle there are active 

RFID tags . A customer can have tag for a long time after subscription. for private parking or also 

be dynamically allocated to customers on need basis at the entrance . Parking spots have sensors 

installed that can wirelessly communicate mote which manages several sensors connected to it . 

This is efficient since a mote can be used to manage several spots opposed to having a mote for 

each spot  (Elmouatez Billah Karbab, 2015) . 

 Patterns of Parking Lever Managers 

Parking spot manager in the floor’s identifier seen as single component as in the diagram below . 

 

Figure 2.2: Parking Floor Manager Pattern 

The floor management contains several types of nodes used; i) Bunches of lots with clustered 

sensor boards, one per spot, integrated RFID and wireless mote, Variable message screen 



 

14 
 
 

 

connected to guiding nodes and an ethernet plug connection to a sink node to enable 

communication to the parking manager .The pattern and the multihop architecture between the 

motes provide a scalable level manager . (Elmouatez Billah Karbab, 2015) .  

 Car Park Framework Architecture 

The  framework has 4 layers of architecture that is ubiquitous . The detection and security 

lare is composed of sensors hosting the hybrid sensors . The communication and transfer of 

information between the gateways and sensors is enabled by a network that is a  mix of both 

wireless and wired communication . Tge next layer sitting on top of the network layer is ta 

middleware that stores data snd inturn enables visualization as an interface between the application 

and the network layers . At this layer , different smart parking services are implemented . The 

framework implementation includes three parst interconnected using th network. The first is the 

parking manager storing all data. It can be a source of information to clients on say available 

parking slots . Pyment services are also implemented within the parking maager . Second is the 

gate manager that is a controller of the WSN forwarding the status of the gate to the parking 

manager . Lasty the parking manager has a responsibility to monitor the pa lots and vehicles in 

that particular level . WSN carries the status traffic of the parking spots to the sink which is later 

transmitted using the LAN . 

 Rea Track Parking Management Model 

This is a system which is ideally customized according to the customer requirements and 

integrates with smart systems providing data in real-time. It’s a web based model .An administrator 

can create segments of the parking areas declaring and configuring guidelines on various time 

zones and time-groups . To create the segment, an administrator would need would configure and 

choose create-zone command and then proceed to add information in the system  (Reltronics, 

2017). 



 

15 
 
 

 

 

Figure 2.3 Parking Lot System Architecture 

It is a robust system by nature and highly a scalable and extensible solution that due tu its 

proper design of tracking hardware that is compliant , well managed resource utilization and very 

modern application created using efficient development frameworks and languages . 

 Smart Parking System Architecture  

Involves mounting of magnetic sensors on each parking slot, to sense vehicles interrupting 

the uniform intensity and direction of the earth’s magnetic field. Ultrasonic sensors mounted on 

the ceiling measure the distance between the sensor and the first obstacle, which could be the 

pavement or a vehicle  



 

16 
 
 

 

 

Figure 2.4 Smart Parking system architecture 

 To detect parking spaces, infrared sensors can be incorporated. Clients are able to reserve 

parking spots prior while the operator can handle the data .The time used to search parking spots 

online can be reduced using an optimised architecture of a parking detection system . 

 Intelligent Parking architecture 

Parking infrastructure depend on devices interconnected to detect availability and varied 

methods are used in this case. Inductive loopes coupled with wireless sensors , magnetic sensors , 

pneumatic tubes etc are used. The devices are directly connected to the controlling computers . 

The long wiring, complicates the system and brings about complexity . Developer costs for this 

systems are also very hing due to the large number of sensors to be configured.  Figure 2.5 shows 

the architecture of an intelligent parking system  



 

17 
 
 

 

 

Figure 2.5  Intelligent Parking System Architecture 

 

The system utilizes roadside infrastructure to communicate with the gps vehicle locater and 

the system . The Roadside infrastructure has certificates for security and information on parking. 

This ensures that drivers are allotted spots fairly. This architecture ensures that information is 

primarily held by the infrastructure and not dependent on the users, enhancing privacy and 

security. 

2.7 Mapping Tools to Navigate Parking 

Several tools are used by drivers to navigate direction and destinations including parking 

spots and one of the most common tools being google maps. This process dragging a mao with 

grids that have been downloaded from google cloud. User who have searched for a spot, get the 

results downloaded , and all this happens in the background and inserted in the map and panel . 

Locations are drawn when the pin is positioned and is composed of various images from the map 

Systems based on location, allow for navigation locating precise positions of lots using 

systems that position and get direction, navigating to the destination or location . The avail data in 



 

18 
 
 

 

real time to the user. With improved network capacities, the transmission of large data volumes 

from the systems is no longer limiting. 

. They potentially give users the access to real-time data. The limitation of large volumes of 

data needed to be transferred over wireless network is decreasing as many network operators offer 

unlimited or reasonably priced data transfer 

2.8 Conceptual Model  

This model describes a connected parking management system with a GIS enabled digital 

road map of the city, occupied with the power of analytics. After collecting the information from 

the spatial and raster environment, the webtool aligns the data in real time with the GS mapping 

and parking spaces provide information to motorists on the best route to take, thereby helping to 

reduce traffic pile up. This model should produce a product which easily integrates with older 

systems in setting up and tuning the model, initializing all the territorial and mobility data and 

finally adapting the product to the specific user needs and situations. All the data to be used can 

be shared with the planning environment: real observed traffic conditions, reconstructed network 

states, and other estimations.  This can take place through data exchange through the defined 

formats and protocols. This helps in tuning the model and in carrying out predictive simulations 

based on sets of real data. 



 

19 
 
 

 

 

Figure 2.6 Conceptual Model 

  



 

20 
 
 

 

Chapter 3: Research Methodology 

3.1 Introduction 

This chapter introduces the research approach and the techniques applied. The chapter 

defines the scope and limitations of the research design, and situates the research amongst 

existing research traditions in information systems. In this chapter we will be using various 

techniques f research to conduct the study. We will use a scientific model approach to identify, 

select, process and analyse information about this topic. There will be a combination of techniques 

to increase the accuracy of findings and quality of analysis. It provides a detailed assessment of 

the various methods applied during the study. From the design of the method and its structure, 

population and sampling data collection methods, analysis and drawing conclusions. In addition, 

application development approaches such as requirements gathering, system design, 

development, deployment and maintenance are all covered. 

According to (Igwenagu, 2016) , methodology is the systematic, theoretical analysis of the 

methods applied to a field of study. It comprises the theoretical analysis of the body of methods 

and principles associated with a branch of knowledge. This study will employ qualitative and 

quantitative research design to identify the variables that influence parking management in the 

Nairobi central district and the impact of manipulating the variables.  

3.2 Research Design 

A research design is used to structure the research, to show how all the major parts of the project 

work together to try to address the central research questions. It is the conceptual structure within 

which research is conducted; it constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement and 

analysis of data. For this study, exploratory research was used because it facilitates in-depth 

investigation to unravel unclear areas relating to this study. For instance, current parking process 

in the county of Nairobi, fees collection and receipting, parking allocation to a driver after finally 

going through the process. The following steps will be factored to guide the research design 

approach; 

i. Identify the research problem clearly and justify its selection, 

ii. Review previously published literature associated with the problem area, 



 

21 
 
 

 

iii. Clearly and explicitly specify hypotheses [i.e., research questions] central to the problem 

selected, 

iv. Effectively describe the data which will be necessary for an adequate test of the 

hypotheses and explain how such data will be obtained, and 

v. Describe the methods of analysis which will be applied to the data in determining whether 

or not the hypotheses are true or false. 

In designing the system, the research implemented agile development methodology. This 

methodology allowed the researcher to determine system requirements long before programming 

so as to minimize changes as development progressed. 

 

3.3 Population and Sampling  

The target population was the county citizens of Nairobi who commute everyday within the 

city either going to work, doing business, transiting to different towns, seeking services from the 

government or private sector, schooling or doing recreational activities. Another target group with 

employees of the county government of Nairobi who are the agents of service on behalf of the 

county. This provided information on how the county is carrying out its current parking services 

and plans they have on improving how best the service can be offered both to the citizen’s benefit 

and the county governments. 

Sample population was twofold for the research to increase accuracy and also give input as 

to the best recommendations. The first group of individuals was be the county citizens who are the 

consumers of this service every day. They shared their experiences, first-hand, and this gave a true 

picture of what actually happens. Secondly they contributed on the best approach to manage 

parking in the central business district and from the aggregated opinions, recommendations with 

be produced. 

The second group is the Nairobi county government employees who are the agents that 

deliver these services.  The county has a method which is currently being used, supposedly have a 

plan of improvement to be implemented. The county employees also enlightened the research by 

sharing the current challenges that they are experiencing with the current approach. 



 

22 
 
 

 

To increase the accuracy of data the best sample size is established  According to (Systems, 

2016) the formula for sample size is; 

Population:150 Accuracy: 90%: Margin of error: 5% 

 

Sample sizes = Z 2 * (p) * (1-p) 

c 2 

Where: 

 

Z = Z value (e.g. 1.96 for 95% confidence level) 

p = percentage picking a choice, expressed as decimal 

(.5 used for sample size needed) 

c = confidence interval, expressed as decimal 

(e.g., .04 = ±4) 

Equation 3.1 Equation to Calculate Sample Size 

Note that the sample size calculator assumes a normal distribution of (50%) for optimum 

size calculation 

 

3.4 Data Collection Instruments 

The importance of data collection instruments This to capture quality evidence that would 

answer the overall research question in the study. through various approaches to data collection, 

the researcher will deduce information that will contribute to making inform decisions. To improve 

the quality of information, it is expedient that data is collected so that you can draw inferences and 



 

23 
 
 

 

make informed decisions on what is considered factual. Data collection will employ several 

methods.  

 Observation 

Observation method is a very common method of data collection and simple in nature. It 

has been used in numerous studies before and has high levels of accuracy. Observation method 

will come in handy as the research question could be answered by observing how the process is 

being carried out currently.  Observation has been defined as a systematic approach of data 

collection where researchers utilize all the five senses to evaluate and examine the naturally 

occurring components or settings within the area of study. The main types of observation include 

the social situation or prolonged engagement. In this particular study, the researcher will take some 

time to observe the different pattern within the city regarding the city’s population pattern, parking 

system, payment activities, vehicle movements, people movement, among other things that are 

that are targeted to address the research question  

 Document Reviewing 

To get relevant information regarding components of parking management, reviews of 

some of the documents from different offices and websites will be done. One of the core document 

reviews utilized involves library research whereby a number of materials from the local libraries 

will be reviewed. This will help collect information on traditional approaches to parking 

management. The other reason for utilizing library review is that t avails right knowledge regarding 

the best study theories and models, which will make it easy to conduct an effective research. 

Additionally, both local and international periodicals and journals will be reviewed to collect 

important information.  The research will concentrate on online research to study different 

websites that have published information about the parking management of the Nairobi county e.g. 

patterns of parking management, payment processes, challenges and any other relevant 

information that could aid a quality research. 

 Online and One on One Surveys What surveys? 

Surveying is one of the critical measurements employed across study disciplines, such as 

social research. It involves asking questions to respondents as a way of collecting data. The main 



 

24 
 
 

 

approaches to surveying include questionnaires and interviews whereby the respondents are 

required to answer questions as directed by the researcher. Applied survey method will be 

deployed to obtain data on parking experiences and capacity by parking type.  In order to collect 

data on demand supply and parking duration in a specific parking type, surveys will be conducted 

around several car parks including on street, off-street and parking in buildings. 

 Questionnaires – You are not explaining much in this case 

To allow respondents to participate in the process, questionnaires were made available 

online and in public offices where the sampled respondents collected and filled them with the right 

answers. Questionnaires were  to the respondents (citizens and county employees). Citizens shared 

feedback on their experiences and gave opinions on how best management should be handled 

while employees shared insider information on the current approach, challenges and underway 

plans around the whole process. Most look like theory and not really things you did – and if you 

so you need to say what you did actually – step by step. 

Questionnaires seek some answers regarding preference of people within the CBD on 

various modes of transport and patterns created regarding parking and the movement within the 

streets. There were numerous advantages of using this method of data collection in the case of this 

study. When questionnaires are distributed, respondents are able to freely contribute their 

suggestions, views and critique of the current state of parking management. Also, the method 

allows critical information to be shared since it is highly confidential. 

 Interviews 

Apart from the methods sated above the study will conduct some structured interviews. 

questions will be prepared in advance and asked during interviews. Then the respondents will be 

alerted on the procedures where those interested will volunteer for the interview sessions. It will 

be a voluntary process so that the willing respondents may comfortably give unbiased information.  

The first section of the interview will contain some extent of bio data with some details 

being optional to stat e such as name and mobile phone contacts. The second part will their 

knowledge on current parking management approaches and third about their reactions concerning 



 

25 
 
 

 

the current systems and management. The final section will be accommodating their suggestions 

and preferences for future development. 

The interviews will help evaluate even the emotional and physical responses from the 

interviewees. This increases quality of data collected. Again, hidden aspects such as social cultural 

aspects of development will be revealed. Shortcomings of this method are but not limited to cost 

and some respondents not fully responding to all questions as expected. 

3.5 Application Development 

The methodology that you will use Agile - denoting "the quality of being agile, readiness for 

motion, nimbleness, activity, dexterity in motion" - software development methods are attempting 

to offer an answer to the eager business community asking for lighter weight along with faster and 

nimbler software development processes. This is especially the case with the rapidly growing and 

volatile Internet software industry as well as for the emerging mobile application environment. 

The new agile methods have evoked substantial amount of literature and debates. However, 

academic research on the subject is still scarce, as most of existing publications are written by 

practitioners or consultants. The aim of this publication is to begin filling this gap by systematically 

reviewing the existing literature on agile software development methodologies. This publication 

has three purposes. First, it proposes a definition and a classification of agile software development 

approaches. Second, it analyses ten software development methods that can be characterized as 

being "agile" against the defined criterion. Third, it compares these methods and highlights their 

similarities and differences. Based on this analysis, future research needs are identified and 

discussed (Pekka Abrahamson, 2017).   

Agile software development refers to a group of software development methodologies 

based on iterative development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration 

between self-organizing cross-functional teams. Agile methods or Agile processes generally 

promote a disciplined project management process that encourages frequent inspection and 

adaptation, a leadership philosophy that encourages teamwork, self-organization and 

accountability, a set of engineering best practices intended to allow for rapid delivery of high-

quality software, and a business approach that aligns development with customer needs and 



 

26 
 
 

 

company goals. Agile development refers to any development process that is aligned with the 

concepts of the Agile Manifesto. The Manifesto was developed by a group fourteen leading 

Figures in the software industry, and reflects their experience of what approaches do and do not 

work for software development (Pekka Abrahamson, 2017). 

There six stages of agile development 

i. Scope out and prioritize projects 

ii. Diagram requirements for the initial sprint 

iii. Construction/iteration 

iv. Release the iteration into production 

v. Production and ongoing support for the software release 

vi. Retirement 

The application followed the standard SDLC cycle in sequence of conception, initiation, analysis, 

design, development testing production and implementation and maintenance.  

 Requirements Gathering and Analysis 

This phase defines the user expectation. It encompassed the activities the determined the 

user needs that ought to be met for the system All possible requirements were collected from all 

stakeholders and potential users, then documented in a specifications document. Each of these 

listed items is scantily explained. 

 System Design and development 

The requirements gathering phase give an input to the design phase. When the requirements 

are analysed, the design phase commences factoring in the analysis. This will use the agile process 

mentioned above until the system is ready. 

 System Implementation 

With input from system design, the system will first be developed in small programs called 

units called units, which will be integrated in the next phase. Each unit will be developed, and 

functionality tested   



 

27 
 
 

 

 System Integration and Testing 

All the units in the implementation with then be integrated into the system after testing of 

each unit. Post integration the entire system will be tested for any faults and failures. 

 System Deployment 

The system once fully tested and approved, will then be deployed into production  

environment. In the production environment the system is normally available to an 

extensive scope of users, 

 System Maintenance 

There are some issues which may arise after deployment of the system even after 

deployment. This could be change requests or functional improvements to the system. This is a 

continuous process and happens even as the system is in production. 

3.6 Data Analysis 

The research design refers to the overall strategy chosen to integrate the different 

components of the study in a coherent and logical way, thereby, ensuring the research problem is 

effectively addressed; it constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement, and analysis of 

data. This section analyses some of the commonly used methods in research. 

 

 

 Case Study Design 

A case study is an in-depth study of a particular research problem rather than a sweeping 

statistical survey. It is often used to narrow down a very broad field of research into one or a few 

easily researchable examples. The case study research design is also useful for testing whether a 

specific theory and model actually applies to phenomena in the real world. It is a useful design 

when not much is known about a phenomenon. 

 

 Descriptive Design 

Descriptive research designs help provide answers to the questions of who, what, when, 

where, and how associated with a particular research problem; a descriptive study cannot 



 

28 
 
 

 

conclusively ascertain answers to why. Descriptive research is used to obtain information 

concerning the current status of the phenomena and to describe "what exists" with respect to 

variables or conditions in a situation. 

 

 Applied Research Design 

Applied research refers to scientific study and research that seeks to solve practical 

problems. Applied research is used to find solutions to everyday problems, cure illness, and 

develop innovative technologies. It is often used by researchers working in human 

factors or industrial/organizational fields  

 

 Basic vs Applied Research 

Basic research is designed to generate new knowledge; whereas, applied research is 

designed to solve particular problems. Examples of basic research would be the study of the Big 

Bang theory or what's at the centre of a black hole. These studies provide us with knowledge but 

have little impact on our daily lives. Applied research studies can be used to address problems and 

improve life for individuals both in the workplace and the communities they live in. 

 

3.7 Research Validity 

Validity, reliability and objectivity are three major components to measure the quality or 

trustworthiness of the" study. Consequently, the following describes the validity, reliability and 

objectivity of this study. 

 Research Validity 

Validity determines whether the researcher is studying the phenomenon he/she purports to 

be studying. There are two kinds of validity, namely internal and external. In terms of internal 

validity, it evaluates how well there is a match between the empirical findings and theory. In 

contrast, external validity measures the extent to which results from the measurements are coherent 

with the reality and whether generalizations can be drawn from the result (Ghauri & Gronhaug, 

2005). In order to maintain external validity in this research, questionnaires were used. In terms of 



 

29 
 
 

 

internal validity in this research, focus was on an open approach in order to maintain a high internal 

validity. The open approach doesn't manipulate the outcome of the questionnaires. There may be 

a weakness in the internal validity in this research because a few of the respondents may not have 

dealt directly with implementation of information systems. As a result, this may cause more 

general answers, not specific to the implementation of information systems. 

  Research Reliability 

Reliability measures the extent to which the same conclusions drawn can be repeated if the 

research is done again (Ghauri & Gronhaug, 2005). Reliability in this research was achieved by 

having a structured research method. In order to construct reliability in this study, all respondents 

were subjected to the same set of questions. In addition, analysis of data from respondents was 

done using the same procedure. 

 Research Objectivity 

Objectivity is a measure of how researchers undertake and carry out their research in that 

it requires them to be precise, unbiased, open, honest and receptive to criticism. In a similar vein, 

objectivity means being aware and honest about how one's own beliefs, values, and biases affect 

the research process. To achieve objectivity various individuals that interact with the county 

parking system will be interviewed i.e. citizens and internal employees of the county. 

3.8 Ethical Considerations 

Ethics refers to the principles of right and wrong that individuals, acting as free moral 

agents, use to make choices to guide their behaviours (Laudon & Laudon, 2012). Research ethics 

is critical since it guides the interactions with people, organisations and institutions (Christensen, 

Johnson & Turner, 2010). Assurance is given that information provided for purposes of this 

research will be treated with the highest level of confidentiality. The responses provided by the 

respondents will not be shared with any person or institution without consent. In addition, this 

research report will be subjected to the Turnitin/Plagiarism-checker (EduBirdie) tool for similarity 

assessment. 

   



 

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Chapter 4: System Architecture and Design 

4.1 Introduction 

System architecture describes the major components that it of a system, how they relate to 

each other in structures and their interaction. System architecture and design has several 

contributing factors such as business requirements, guilty attributes, human dynamic, design 

components and the environment in which the system operates. 

System design builds a plan that elaborates a system by describing how the elements of a 

system fit and work together to achieve all the requirements of the system. The intention of having 

a design plan is to settle on specific system requirements, align with user expectations that could 

be any user who will potentially interact with the system. The system design also acts as a blueprint 

of what is expected during the development process guiding the implementation tasks that would 

extend to integration, coding and testing. 

Evaluation of the design and architecture of the proposed system was done by factoring in 

the requirements collected from potential users and ability to function as fully expected. To attain 

this, diagrammatic representations were created using modelling software to bring out detailed 

understanding of each element. These are data flow diagrams and use case diagrams with 

descriptions. The diagrams show how data is relayed from the user interface to the database and 

how different users interact with the application. 

4.2 Proposed Systems Architecture 

The architecture of the parking system consists of several components mainly, 

communication devices. The parking spot booking information is used to monitor the status of 

each slo.. The information is monitored at regular intervals due to its dynamic nature. The 

information is available at the central server which is used to store data about the parking status. 

When a drive reeds parking at a certain area, he initiates the requests via browser from a phone or 

a personal computer. This request is sent to the central server as indicated in Figure 4.1 

.  The request is made through various steps after accessing the browser. The user needs 

internet to access the url through a browser. The url is written on the browser and loaded to redirect 



 

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to the log in page. The system, us since it’s a web application, is hosted in a cloud environment 

that can be accessed from anywhere as long as the user has internet connectivity to access the 

webserver. The browser is the client in this context and interacts with the database using the web 

interface. The database holds all information regarding parking spaces and the system and updates 

request in real-time once they are made or expire. Once a user accesses the web application portal, 

available slots are displayed from the database. 

The illustrations are as per Figure 4.1 It is shown that the central server receives parking 

information from all facilities and stores the information in the database server. A user in motion 

can place a request and get real-time update of the available slots and get a precise from the central 

server The   automated   parking   guidance   system   considers various parking facilities in the 

city that are labelled based on zone, street/road and a number e.g. CBD-KenyAV-003 (this is a 

parking spot number found on Kenyatta avenue in the central business district of Nairobi). 

Whenever the central server receives any request, the request is forwarded to the central server. 

Now central server, in association with the server database, display the available parking spaces 

for the user to choose from. 

 

 



 

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Figure 4.1 System Architecture 

4.3  Requirements and System analysis 

This section focuses on the requirements that the researcher attained from respondents based 

on the data collected from the users. These requirements are used as a guide to determine the 

specific needs to meet the new system taking into account varied interests from users in the ideal 

system capability 

 Requirements Analysis 

 Usability 

The application has a simple user-friendly interface that users will interact with to place 

and follow up requests. The user access the web portal using an internet browser through a url that 

is made available to them. They are allowed to log in and place request within a very short time. 



 

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 Compatibility  

The first phase of the application will be web based. Therefore, access will be using 

computer web browser interface from either a phone or a personal computer. This means that there 

are very many options availed to the user to access the system and can use any operating system 

However the second and third phases will develop android and iOS mobile applications. 

 Functionality 

The application is able to predict availability of parking. The user is able to plan for parking 

and can book in advance. Online payment for parking will be available via MPESA and eventually 

integrations to payment card systems. Time slots to parking services will be dynamic thus, a driver 

can specify the amount of time they need a parking space and also extend. 

 

 Reliability 

The application service is available 24/7. This is because it will be hosted in a public cloud 

environment which increases availability. System tests will be conducted quarterly to ensure that 

performance and efficiency of the system is optimized and continually improved. Information on 

the status of all parking system will be available to all users indiscriminatively hence increasing 

the reliability Its also important to note that access to the system will be from any browser using 

personal computers, Table ts and smart phones. 

 

4.4 Sequence Diagram 

The Figure 4.2 shows activities in sequence. The driver inputs his username and password 

for verification. He/She then once authenticated, is able to navigate the application to find the most 

convenient parking and selects it then submits the request. The database server upon verification 

sends a confirmation to the driver for them to initiate a payment based on how long they need the 

space. The service is on a first come first served basis 

 



 

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Figure 4.2 Sequence Diagram 

4.5 System Design 

Custom development was used as the design strategy. Object oriented design was used in 

defining the requirements identified during system analysis. User requirements were 

obtained from the findings of the survey. These user requirements were summarized into 

design class diagrams (DCD) and entity relationship diagrams (ERD). This is important 

to illustrate how objects, interact with each other and outline the processes involved in 

implementation of systems. 

 



 

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 Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)  

An ERD contains different symbols and connectors that visualize two important 

information: The major entities within the system scope, and the inter-relationships among these 

entities. Here we have the driver details, vehicle to be parked details, Parking spot details, MPESA 

transaction details and the administrator details. This ER information inturn is used to build the 

database in the MySQL platform as shown in Figure 4.3. The database organizes data according 

to a database model. It determines what data must be stored and how the data elements interrelate. 

Database design involves classifying data and identifying interrelationships. The database for the 

parking management system is derived from the entity relationship diagrams and all the entities 

have primary keys that uniquely identify them as per the Figure 4.4 

 

Figure 4.3 MySQL database extract 



 

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Figure 4.4 Entity Relationship Diagram 

 

4.6 Activity Diagram 

Activity diagram is basically a flowchart to represent the flow from one activity to 

another activity. The activity can be described as an operation of the system. The control flow is 

drawn from one operation to another. In the Figure 4.5 , the first activity is a user initiating a 

request for an available parking slot . The system then avails available parking slots for the user to 

make a choice. If the parking slots are unavailable, the user can tell from the interface since all 

booked spots are displayed and flagged in red Figure 4.6 . If there are available slots, they are 

marked in green without any ref flagging as shown . 

 



 

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Figure 4.5 Activity Diagram 

 

 

Figure 4.6 Parking System Interface 



 

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4.7 Security Design  

Both the system approach and data approach were considered in designing the security of 

the system. Security of data is ensured by requiring access to the system through username and 

password. In addition, the characters of the password are masked even in the storage to ensure that 

even the administrator cannot tell the user password. In addition, there is a password policy which 

defines the type of characters to be used, minimum number of characters allowed, duration of use 

of the password and prohibits use of a password that had been used before. Further, a lockout 

policy is implemented in the system that locks out users after a specified number of unsuccessful 

logins attempts and after a given duration of when the system is idle. To ensure security of the 

system and data, access to the system is authenticated. Access is only granted in accordance to the 

privileges accorded to the user. 

 

4.8 Use case diagram 

There are 2 main actors for the application to complete a fully efficient service as shown in 

Figure 4.7 . A driver is the registered user who seeks to use the parking management services 

within the county of Nairobi. The service administrator representing the county and their role is to 

oversee the services allocation processes by the system and also check on defaulters who mostly 

exceed parking time without paying for it. The administrator reconciles all payments with the 

number of hours booked by users in the system and can choose to create a portal for the finance 

operations to be performed or generate reports for them. System administrates are to ensure service 

availability by securing, updating and patching the system. 



 

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Figure 4.7 Use Case Diagram 

 

 

4.9 Data Flow Diagram 

Illustrates the step by step processes followed in the application and the data stores of various 

data. A registered user logs into the system and his credentials verified. Each user has an accessible 

and editable  user profile. After login the user is presented with a main menu where they can choose 

the most convenient parking space they need. The drivers also have provision to cancel parking 

spaces booked up to 30 minutes before the start time. Otherwise the full amount is charged to the 

driver. 

 

 

Figure 4.8 Context Diagram 

 



 

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Figure 4.9 Data Flow Diagram 

   



 

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Chapter 5: System Implementation and Testing 

5.1 Introduction 

System implementation is the sequence of activities that formulate an action plan. Prior to 

implementation team. Its overall objective is to ensure that the system is operational. Users are 

allowed to take over its operation for use assessment and evaluation. Users are trained to 

interact and handle the system plan for a sooth conversion. System Testing uses a   black box 

testing approach done to evaluate if the system actually met the requirements for which were 

proposed. During testing, the functionalities of the system are tested from an end-to-end 

perspective. System Testing is usually carried out by a team that is independent of the 

development team in order to measure the quality of the system unbiased. It includes both 

functional and Non-Functional testing. 

5.2 WireFrames of the Parking Management System 

 Wireframing is a way to design a website service at the structural level. A wireframe is 

commonly used to lay out content and functionality on a page which takes into account user needs 

and user journeys. Examples are shown below in Figures 5.1,5.2 and 5.3 for logging in , homepage 

and booking interface . 

 Login Page 

 



 

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Figure 5.1  Login Wireframe 

 Home Page 

 

Figure 5.2  Home page Wireframe 

 Booking  

 

 

 

Figure 5.3 Booking Interface 



 

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Further before the System implementation and testing, you need to show the wireframes for 

what the system will have to show – with all the interfaces expected first mocked out 

(wireframes) and then later you show the actual implementations (from really system). You 

have missed a key component that must be added. 

5.3 System Implementation and Testing 

The research resulted into an application that can run as a web application on mobile devices 

where registered users have access to the main menu. The process begins with user 

authentication where a driver provides his/her credentials that uniquely identify them to access 

the system and request services. The details are verified by an authentication server and once 

this happens, the user can search and request for a public parking space anywhere within the 

county of Nairobi. 

5.4 System Components  

 Login  

A url is loaded on a browser by a user directing them to a login page where they can 

create a new user or login as an existing user. In case of a new user, there is provision of 

a sign up now option as shown in the Figure 5.1 were a user fills in their preferred 

username and also able to set a secure password of a minimum of seven characters .For 

an existing user, the system provisions a login here button that provides a form to fill in 

the username and password . Once logged on, the system loads the main menu page. 

During log in, the system verifies the user’s authenticity from the database. 

 



 

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Figure 5.4 User Registration Page 

 

Figure 5.5 User Login Page 

 Main Menu 

Once logged in, the user finds the main menu that consists of various options. These 

options are, pay parking option, view history option, user profile, payment information 

and several other features 



 

45 
 
 

 

 

 

Figure 5.6 Main Menu Page 

You have not shown the many snapshots of how the system works. We need to get into 

the details of what the systems does and share that with the readers.  

Without these details you will be considered not to have done anything to warrant a 

masters. This is familiar to you well.  

You risk the same issues this time around with a few cosmetic snapshots of the supposed 

system. 

 Home 

The home page contains a welcome message once a user logs in and gives a high level 

overview of the expected service from the platform and is demonstrated in the Figure 5.3 

. 

 

 About us 

This tab contain highlevel information of the County government f Nairobi, Includes an 

introduction, Vision and mission statements, core values and the various aspects of 

governance such as Health Services Sector, Public management sector and Public works, 

road and transport sectors where the system fits . 



 

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 Parking zones  

This button gives a list of all available parking zones within the county’s jurisdiction as 

shown in Figure E.g. Central business district (1), Langata (2), Lavington (3) , Hurlingham 

(4), Kilimani (5)  and Parklands (6) . It’s important to note that not all zones are active at 

the moment as there are many factors that will be involved to get the system up and 

running to manage the whole county parking spaces 

 

 

 

 Book now 

This is the core of the whole centralized parking management system. When a user 

clicks on the Book Now button, they are redirected to a page where they can initiate the 

booking process.  The interface displays real-time available parking spots as at the time of 

booking as shown in Figure 5.7 

 

Figure 5.7 Parking Zones and Fees 

 The user can select the Parking zone e,g Central business district (1), Langata (2), 

Lavington (3) , Hurlingham (4), Kilimanu (5)  and Parklands (6) , narrow down to a street 

road in the zone and select the code ID that appears automatically from the options . The 

user species the date and time using the calendar provided in the form . Different examples 



 

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of booking zones are shown in the Figures 5.9 for Langata Figure 5.10  for Lavington and 

Figure 5.11 for Parklands .  

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 5.8 Parking Layout Overview 

 

Figure 5.9 Hurlingham Parking Booking 

 



 

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Figure 5.10 Westlands Parking Booking 

 

Figure 5.11Yaya centre Total Parking Booking 



 

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 Payment 

After filling up the specifications of the preferred parking spot based on the 

availability, the user submits the form details and is prompted to make a payment using 

MPESA mobile money payment. The system provisions a textbox to insert the mobile 

number as shown on Figure 5.12 The system is able to cache previous number used and 

hence provides the history to choose from as an option . 

 

 

Figure 5.12 Mpesa Payment Prompt 

 

Once the user enters the phone number and confirms, an MPESA interferes on the 

phone prompting them for the pin with a pre-set amount to be deducted . MPESA is a 

mobile money platform that is offered as a service by safaricom who is a leading internet 

service provider in the region. The MPESA API key is integrated to the system hence 

enabling payments through the platform. 



 

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.   

Figure 5.13 MPESA C2B Validation Process 

After submitting the mobile phone number of a sure , the user is prompted to put in 

the MPSA pin by a push notification being sent to their phone by the MPESA plat form. 

When the user feeds the PIN and confirms, the parking is now automat ically booked and 

reserved until that time elapses . The PUSH notification is as shown in Figure ……. 



 

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Figure 5.14 Mobile phone prompt 

 

Figure 5.15 Mpesa 

 

Figure 5.16 Figure Confirmation 



 

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Figure 5.17 MPESA API Key 

 Contact us 

The system has a provision of contacting the system administrator directly by a form provisioned to 

capture details of the client and also a textbox to write down a message to the administrator. The 

contact page is demonstrated by Figure 5.17 . 

 

Figure 5.18 Feedback Form 

 Sign out 

For various reasons including confidentiality, Integrity and privacy, the user is also able to sign‐out from 

the system using the signout button provisioned on the menu bar , After signing out, the user is taken