The Political Ecology of Peasant-Herder Conflict in Mvomero District, Tanzania

Abstract

It is worthwhile to address the peasant-herder conflict in Tanzania because the increases over time. This study seek to contribute to the growing literature in herder-peasant interactions in most Sub-Saharan African countries by using it as a response to facilitate proper use of natural resources in these countries. The arrival of pastoral societies in Morogoro in 1990s was not a problem because there was a large of uninhabited land. However, population increase of both peasants and herders, land grabbing and large scale investments in the area had compressed the people into a small area of which could not hold them extensively and peacefully. This paper investigated the causes, impacts and resolution of peasant-herder conflict in the study area. Findings from questionnaire and field interviews show that there is increased cases of killing among the two groups. Each group claim to have right over land utilization in the area. Therefore, there is a need to harmonize policies especially those with cross cutting interests, review some village land use plans, creation of awareness toward herders to abandon their traditional transhumance nature of livestock keeping and adopt the sedentary livestock keeping which is economic viable and environmental friendly. Key Words: Political ecology, Peasant-Header Conflict, Crops Damage, Confiscation of Herds, Mvomero     DistrictÂ