ROLE OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS IN CONFLICT MANAGEMENT BETWEEN PASTORALIST COMMUNITIES AND COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURAL FARMERS IN SIHA DISTRICT, KILIMANJARO REGION, TANZANIA

The purpose of the study was to establish the role of Traditional Leaders in Conflict Management between Pastoralist Communities and Commercial Agriculture Farmers in the study area. A mix of descriptive and explanatory research designs was employed. Simple random sampling method was used to select study participants. From the total target population of 850 where pastoralists were 800 and Commercial agricultural farmers were 50; 10(20%) of the sampling frame were Commercial agricultural farmers and 80(10%) were pastoralists resulting in a total sample of 90 respondents. However, only 85 respondents participated in the study. Data was collected using questionnaires and structured interview schedules and desk review was used to gather secondary data. Data analysis was done using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation was used to test the hypotheses. Qualitative data was analyzed using Content Analysis (CA) technique. Results from the findings indicate that there was a weak but positive and insignificant relationship between consultative meetings and conflict management [P (83) = 0.060, P>0.05]. There was also a strong positive and significant relationship between reconciliation and conflict management [P (83) = 0.775, P <0.05]. Further, the study revealed a strong, positive and significant relationship between negotiation and conflict management [P (83) = 0.896, P<0.05]. The relationship between mediation and conflict management was strong, positive and significant [P (83) = 0.785, P<0.05]. Based on the findings, the study recommends that capacity building through education pertaining to laws and regulations guiding the sustainable land use be conducted to different stakeholders involved in conflict management in the study area. The government should implement land use planning, and traditional leaders together with all the stakeholders should initiate and maintain regular or annual meetings in which the commercial farmers and pastoralists would table issues concerning their activities in order to avoid conflict between them in the area. Further, it is recommended that Commercial Farmers and pastoralists should form more cooperatives and associations that can represent their interest and enable them to speak as a group and that future similar researches should include other conflict management factors that have not been dealt with in the current study.