Land Tenure Unit on policy in pipeline

LUDOVICK KAZOKA

Minister for Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Professor Joyce Ndalichako

GOVERNMENT plans to introduce a new Land Tenure Unit (LTU) for providing advice on evolving land policy, focusing on increasing transparency, investor confidence and developing models for better benefit-sharing from investment.

Addressing the Eastern African Land Administration Network (EALAN) conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Minister for Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Prof Joyce Ndalichako, said the unit will design a roadmap coordinating and building on all current and planned land-related activities.

“The roadmap will include plans for accelerated land titling by surveying and mapping to support participatory land use planning and identify land for investment,” the minister said in a speech read on her behalf by Deputy Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Prof Simon Msanjila.

Under the theme ‘Access to Land Resources and Impacts to Economic Livelihoods of the Eastern African People’, the EALAN conference, organised by the Ardhi University (ARU), brings together academicians, researchers and stakeholders in land sector from 12 universities across the Eastern Africa region, West Africa as well as Europe and America.

Prof Ndalichako pointed out that the LTU will clarify the role of different government institutions, provide guidance for investors, information to local communities and identify ways of strengthening dispute resolution.

“It will raise awareness amongst the different stakeholders in the land sector of their rights, roles and responsibilities and build in stakeholder participation and consultation,” she said.

The minister, who was the guest of honour at the EALAN conference, said the gathering was vital to provide the government with some new ideas and strategies on how best to go about with the LTU.

ARU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Idrissa Mshoro, said the conference was ideal platform to exchange experience on how best to address challenges facing the land sector, saying the country will make use of the 8th EALAN meeting to share knowledge on how to solve land disputes.

“The conference will go hand in hand with a three-day training on how to conduct meaningful researches largely to provide solution on burning issues facing the land sector,” said Prof Mshoro.

Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Dr Moses Kusiluka, said the government has embarked on the countrywide exercise to survey land, saying the exercise is aimed at addressing land disputes.

“The exercise will provide solution on land disputes between pastoralists and farmers by earmarking special areas for grazing and agriculture in every village,” he said.