An Assessment of The Role of Traditional Leaders in Managing Maasai Land Conflicts in Tanzania:

Abstract

The study assessed the Role of Traditional Leaders in the Maasai Land Conflicts Management in Longido District. The specific objectives of the study were as follows, to show the capacity of traditional leaders in resolving land conflicts, to investigate the community’s level of awareness in various laws and regulations governing land conflicts and to determine obstacles toward land conflicts management at Longido district council. Primary Data were collected from 31 respondents from who were land users, District Leaders, Member of Parliament, District Executive Director, Heads of Land Department and Council Chairman. The study also used secondary data as information from literature review. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The study findings concluded that leaders who were supposed to resolve the land conflicts were not able to solve land conflicts because they had no enough skills. This was attributed by lack of education among the traditional leaders. In the second objective, the study concluded that majority of the village leaders have been elected in 2019 and have not been trained in anything about good governance and also because many villages have no village executive officers it becomes a serious problem on understanding land laws as copies of land laws and land use plan. Lastly, the study concluded that there were various obstacles hindering land conflict resolution. Village leaders are prone to corruption and are being always suspected to that, because of the nature of work they are doing, that happens because, they are not paid anything, they work as volunteers for the whole period of their leadership. It is recommended that, Longido District Council should undertake increased efforts in capacity building through constant provision of education to local leaders pertaining to laws and regulations guiding sustainable land to the local leaders who most of them are members of the ward land tribunals. This can be carried out through formal training sessions and through frequent workshops and awareness rising among both the leaders and the local population. Capacity building was also contributed to the improvement of local leaders in land conflict management. The village chairpersons have to be paid some allowances as the councilors are paid, rather than working as a volunteer for the period of five years. This situation invites them to engage into corrupt behaviors. Effective land use plans should be implemented in the area of the study and other areas in the country. Effective land use plans was demarcate clear boundaries and provide land deed. By doing so it was help to minimize land conflicts to the large extent.