THE EFFECT OF ETHICAL LEADERSHIP ON PUBLIC TRUST IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES

Abstract

This study examines the effect of ethical leadership on public trust in local government, using Arusha City Council as a case study. Employing a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 350 survey respondents and supplemented with key informant interviews and document reviews. Quantitative analysis through descriptive statistics and regression identified significant positive relationships between ethical leadership attributes and public trust, while qualitative findings provided contextual insights. Results revealed that fairness, integrity, and transparency exerted the strongest influence on building trust, whereas compliance with rules alone showed a weaker effect. Moreover, institutional challenges such as bureaucratic inefficiencies, political interference, and weak accountability mechanisms were found to moderate and diminish the impact of ethical leadership on trust. The study concludes that ethical leadership is a vital determinant of public trust in local government, yet its effectiveness is contingent upon robust institutional frameworks that uphold transparency and accountability. It recommends strengthening ethical leadership training, enforcing codes of conduct, promoting citizen participation in financial decision-making, and establishing independent ethics and audit committees to enhance accountability within Arusha City Council. The study further suggests that future research should extend this inquiry across multiple local government authorities using mixed-method approaches to generate broader insights into the governance dynamics influencing citizen confidence in Tanzania’s local institutions.