Introduction

The need for Pastoral Land Rights Programme was identified as a felt need by CORDS and other stakeholders in four main traditional Maasai districts namely Kiteto and Simanjiro based in Manyara Region and Monduli and Longido in Arusha Region in Northern Tanzania through a research that was carried out in 1997. 

The study identified a number of development challenges facing the Pastoralist communities in the region. Land tenure insecurity surfaced as a major challenge since highly potential areas which predominantly where grazing pattern have been allocated for other uses through various reforms influenced by conservationist and enacted by the Government. Thousands of acres within Pastoralist areas were set aside for large scale farming, Military camps, extended National parks, hunting blocks and camp sites.

Due to this reason communities cried to CORDS to halt further encroachment of their land. In response to community needs CORDS has initiated this Programme purposely to address that challenge ten years back. Early in 2006, a new programme was established in Arumeru district Mukulat division. This programme focused on the empowerment of agro-pastoralists on land rights. The programme has been implemented jointly with Missionaries of Mary sister based at Ngaramtoni.

Areas of operation:

The programme implemented activities in two main districts of Monduli and Longido.

With support grant from various donors such as IWGIA and CORDAID, demarcation mapping and titling of villages were conducted in Monduli and Longido districts.

The programme further, sought to facilitate a process in which pastoral communities enhanced security of land tenure and addressed conflicts related to land while halting further forms of land alienation. In the process the programme further prepared the ground for developing sustainable resource utilization and management plans that support pastoralism as an economically viable system and livelihood of choice for the pastoralist Maasai whose heritage is deeply rooted in pastoralism.

Overall objective:

The primary goal of the programme is to enhance security of resource tenure for the Maasai pastoral communities in Monduli and Longido. The strategy has been to achieve this through securing certificate of village land as a prerequisite for legal ownership of land under the Village Land Act No. 5 of 1999 and to empower communities by raising awareness on pastoral land rights.

Planned programme activities for the period:

• Collaboration with stakeholders.

• Organizing and conducting workshops for village leaders and District Officials on The National Land Policy 1995 and other pertinent Legislation relating to Land such as the Village Land Act No. 5 of 1999.

• Facilitating boundary agreement meetings.

• Surveying villages in order to settle their boundary disputes.

• Preparing village boundary certificates.

• Drawing of maps for surveyed villages and computing areas.

• Facilitating approval of village maps by the Director of Survey and Mapping.

• Follow up signing of boundary description certificates by village leaders.

• Preparation of village seals.

• Facilitating signing certificate of village land by respective village leaders.

• Sending certificates of village land to the Commissioner of Lands for approval and registration.

• Registration of village land certificates at District Land registries.

• Handing over certificates of village lands to respective village leaders.

• Collection of socio-economic and bio- physical data for village profiles.

• Facilitate villages to establish village land registries.

• Establishing village land use to selected villages.

Expected Programme Outputs:

• Prevented pastoral lands from all forms of alienation to other land users.

• Reduced land use and other resources based conflicts.

• Enhanced security of pastoral resources and livelihoods.

• Improved environmental conservation and productivity in targeted areas.

• Enhanced capacity of villagers on land issues.

• Detailed land use and natural resource management plans guiding natural resource use.

• Strengthened capacity of local village leaders to deal with land issues.

Achievements of the programme

During intervention tremendous achievements have been observed in the following areas;

• Villages demarcation.

Since its inception demarcation was the major strategy of the programme to enhance security of land tenure. The exercise was started in 2001. So far 63 villages out of 72 have been demarcated, mapped, registered. To this end, the said 63 villages have secured their respective certificates of village land as legal documents entitling villages to govern their land. It is informative to note that in 2005, Monduli district was split into two districts namely Longido which comprises of 32 villages and Monduli which comprises of 40 villages. In 2007 all 63 villages secured their certificates of village land and the handing over exercise was performed by respective District Commissioners for Monduli and Longido and the demarcation phased out as pre-requisite step for developing sustainable resource utilization and management plans.

Villages' status in Monduli and Longido districts

• Public awareness.

The programme has played a pivotal role in public awareness creation on land rights and land laws in the targeted area through training, workshops and seminars. It has spearheaded sensitization at the local community and District levels with commitment to educate more people on their land rights. The programme has given an insight to disadvantage groups on equitable access to land. In addition, residential workshops were organized by the programme in collaboration with twin programme of land use based in Kiteto.

• Collaboration meeting.

Collaboration and networking are part of the programme since its inception ten years back. The programme staff and organization management have represented the programme at various networking functions that are summarized below;

- SPILL: (Strategic plan for the implementation of land laws) this strategy has been developed by the Ministry of Lands purposely to speed up implementation of Land legislation and involvement of the community in the said processes more effectively. The programme coordinator has represented the programme in various Regional meetings.

- MKURABITA: (Property and Business Formalization Programme). This is a programme established by the Government with the aim of economically empowering the poor majority in the country by increasing their access to property and business opportunities towards development of a strong and expanded market economy. The CORDS coordinator has represented the programme at a workshop held in Dar-es-Salaam.

• Village profiles: Necessary information was gathered in targeted villages in order to prepare comprehensive village land use plans.

• Land use planning: Since demarcation activities were completed effective land use emerged as the next step used to strengthen the initial exercise. To this end, villages in Monduli and Longido districts which were demarcated and secured their respective certificates of village land can kick off in land use planning. The programme has ventured into few initial ground works in five main villages in Longido district in mobilizing communities to identify water catchments area and their owners, main stock routes and specific grazing areas within and outside their villages. Nothing has been done in Monduli due to financial constraints.

Future plans of the programme:

The focus of the programme is to address land use plans in five villages in Monduli and other five villages in Longido.

• Specific villages that the programme ventures into in the next phase of land use plans are: Loosimingori, Lepurko, Arkaria, Mti moja and Arkatan in Monduli district. In Longido district the villages are; Engikaret, Kiserian, Kimokowua, Eworendeke and Mairowu.