Contribution of Local Leaders towards Land Conflict Management in Tanzania: A Case of Farming Communities in Monduli District

The purpose of this paper is to assess the contribution of local leaders towards land conflict management. The paper is based on a study conducted in MonduliJuu ward in Monduli District in Arusha region. The study aimed at identifying sources of land conflicts, identifying the role of local leaders towards land conflicts management and examining the effectiveness of local leaders towards land conflicts management among farmers and pastoralists in MonduliJuu ward. The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative research approaches, the data were collected by using questionnaires and interview. The study employed a descriptive survey research design while the respondents were selected by using purposive sampling techniques and simple random sampling. The study involved 100 respondents which include 10 local leaders, 45 farmers and 45 pastoralists from MonduliJuu ward in Monduli District. The findings revealed that sources of land conflicts among farmers and pastoralists were poor land planning, scarcity of land and scramble for pasture. Furthermore, the findings discovered that local leaders play a leading role in solving land conflicts among farmers and pastoralists communities but during conflicts some of the local leaders favor their owncommunities andeven some of them take bribes when solving herders-farmers conflicts which creates dispute among the communities. Thus, the study recommends that in order to solve land conflicts, local leaders should be at the forefront to control and manage land conflict in time and should avoid taking bribe and put aside their self-interest. The government should put additional emphasis on implementing village land use plans and should provide education on laws, regulations and procedures governing land ownership