An Anatomy of Participation of Pastoralists in Land Governance

Reflections from the Maasai in Chemba and Kondoa Districts, Tanzania.

Abstract

Literature on participation of pastoralists in governance lacks in-depth qualitative information on the quality of their participation and the dynamics behind it. This article mends the gap by qualitatively investigating the dynamics of participation of Maasai pastoralists in land governance in Tanzania. The study involved 72 interviews with pastoralists, two (2) key informant interviews, and two Focus group discussions that included 16 participants. A desk review and observations triangulated interviews and key informant interviews.

The data garnered in this study underwent content analysis and was descriptively discussed. Findings fundamentally suggest that participation of the Maasai pastoralists in land governance is low in terms of active participation in meetings, holding leadership positions, and influencing land-related decisions. Such a situation is attributed to Maasai cultural norms and values, power relations, and incentives which restrict and/or compel most of them to have limited participation in governance. As such, understanding participation of pastoralists in land governance, and devising means to improve the quality of their participation require an eclectic approach that takes on board the substantive and descriptive forces surrounding participation of pastoralists in land governance.