https://ujmdd.mzumbe.ac.tz/index.php/ujmdd/issue/feed The UONGOZI Journal of Management and Development Dynamics 2026-04-16T14:50:35-04:00 Dr. Mary Rutenge uongozijournal_chiefeditor@mzumbe.ac.tz Open Journal Systems <p>‘<em>Uongozi’</em> is a Kiswahili word for Leadership. <strong>“UONGOZI” - Journal of Management Development Dynamics (UJMDD)</strong> is a multidisciplinary journal sponsored and published by Mzumbe University, Tanzania. The Journal aims at providing management trainers, consultants and practicing managers and other stakeholders with a scholarly forum for an exchange of ideas and experiences. The objective is to fill the vacuum of relevant information for managers, management experts and students in African countries and beyond.</p> <p>The Journal is published <strong><em>twice</em></strong><em> a year,</em> in <strong>June</strong> and <strong>December</strong>.</p> https://ujmdd.mzumbe.ac.tz/index.php/ujmdd/article/view/195 Administrative Decentralisation, Bureaucratic Discretion and Pro-poor Service Delivery in Zanzibar Local Government 2026-04-16T14:18:17-04:00 Khamis Othman Khamis wlameck@mzumbe.ac.tz Wilfred Uronu Lameck wlameck@mzumbe.ac.tz <p>Administrative decentralisation and bureaucratic discretion have recently become a significant focus in lo-<br>cal government studies. Interest in this area has increased due to extensive evidence indicating that decen-<br>tralisation reforms adopted by many countries worldwide have not sufficiently enhanced bureaucratic dis-<br>cretion to improve service delivery at the local level. This paper therefore examines the level of bureau-<br>cratic discretion in Zanzibar’s local government and the extent to which such discretion either facilitates or<br>limits service delivery, particularly in the West A. Municipal Council in Zanzibar. The current study em-<br>ployed a mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative techniques, with a sample of<br>75 respondents. The sample was selected through non-proportionate stratified simple random sampling for<br>descriptive analysis, while 25 respondents were chosen purposively for in-depth interviews. Findings indi-<br>cate that administrative decentralisation was introduced in Zanzibar through policy and legal reforms over<br>the past 12 years, involving three policy sectors in a pilot study aimed at implementing decentralisation by<br>devolution reforms. However, the current government administration reverted to a centralised system for<br>critical government functions. Through district authorities, the Central Government Ministry determines<br>and instructs on the content of plans and programmes at the Shehia level – the lowest administrative layer<br>in local government. Based on these findings, the study recommends granting local government authorities’<br>greater administrative discretion and limiting the powers of the central government by ensuring adherence<br>to the existing institutional framework.</p> 2026-04-15T00:00:00-04:00 Copyright (c) 2026 The UONGOZI Journal of Management and Development Dynamics