Influence of the legal support system of local authorities towards effective local government: A case of Arusha District Council, Tanzania

Edna Lukuta; Faisal Issa

doi:10.51867/AQSSR.2.4.61

Authors

Edna Lukuta Mzumbe University, Dar es salaam Campus College, Tanzania Author
Faisal Issa Mzumbe University, Dar es salaam Campus College, Tanzania Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1818-7745

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/AQSSR.2.4.61

Keywords:

Arusha District, Legal Support System, Local Authorities, Local Government, Tanzania

Abstract

The study examines the significance of a good legal support system towards effective governance in local councils, with the Arusha District Council serving as a case study. Institutional theory guided the research, and the target population was 254. A mixed-methods approach with a case study design was used, and emphasis was laid on the Arusha District Council. Information was collected from a sample of 154 respondents consisting of local council officers, legal professionals, and members of the community using simple random and purposeful sampling procedures. Questionnaires and interviews were used as instruments of data collection. Quantitative data from surveys were analyzed using SPSS software to compute descriptive statistics, such as means, percentages, and frequencies, to summarize the community’s perceptions and the operational efficiency of the M-Mama system. Qualitative data from interviews were analyzed thematically. Through findings, it was observed that, despite the availability of qualified legal personnel and well-documented practice, there are glaring issues, particularly in the number of staff, resource distribution, and access to legal expertise. Additionally, the findings indicated that legal officers are moderately accessible and legal guidelines are in place but not uniformly available to all departments. On the issue of legal assistance in service delivery, findings from data indicate that legal officers assisted in curbing disputes, procurement monitoring, and compliance with regulations but with slow service delivery because of procedural standards. The study recommends strengthening internal staffing and training and periodically reviewing legal frameworks.

References

Abdullahi, M. F. (2024). Introduction to new public management (NPM). Global Scientific Journals, 12(5), May 2024.

Aggarwal, V., & Mishra, V. (2024). Aligning internship outcomes with SDG 4: A comparative study of academic institutions and industry sectors' expectations. International Journal of Economic Perspectives, 18(10), 1702-1717. https://ijeponline.org/index.php/journal/article/view/662

Athanace, E. (2019). Local government authorities' compliance with public procurement law in mainland Tanzania: A case of Dodoma and Chamwino councils. Morogoro, Tanzania: Mzumbe University.

Babbie, E. (2021). The practice of social research (15th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Bah, I., & Dossa, K. F. (2025). Land governance in French-speaking Africa: Comparative analysis of legal and institutional reforms for sustainable management of community lands. Land, 14(2), 276. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020276 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020276

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Bryman, A. (2015). Social research methods (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Creswell, J. W. (2024). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). Sage Publications.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.

Danga, M., Kapwani, J., & Justus, S. (2021). Factors affecting the effectiveness of e-procurement in selected local government authorities in Tanzania. International Journal of Academic Management Science Research, 5(9), 175-182.

Indahsari, C. L., & Raharja, S. U. J. (2020). New public management (NPM) as an effort in governance. Jurnal Manajemen Pelayanan Publik, 3(2), 73. https://doi.org/10.24198/jmpp.v3i2.25342 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24198/jmpp.v3i2.25342

Kavishe, N., Jefferson, I., & Chileshe, N. (2019). Evaluating issues and outcomes associated with public-private partnership housing project delivery: Tanzanian practitioners' preliminary observations. International Journal of Construction Management, 19(4), 354-369. https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2018.1435154 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2018.1435154

Kessy, A., & Mushi, R. (2018). Institutional and legal analysis of D-by-D in Tanzania: Rhetoric vs reality. REPOA Brief, 13(2018).

Komakech, R. A. (2020). Corruption in public procurement in Uganda: What to do? In 2nd International Conference on Governance and Service Delivery in Developing Economies (pp. 754-770). Kampala, Uganda: Uganda Management Institute (UMI).

Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques (4th ed.). New Age International Publishers.

Kweka, J. (2023). Assessment of firm level drivers of productivity and competitiveness in the Tanzania enterprise sector. REPOA, Dar es Salaam.

Mollel, H. A., & Tollenaar, A. (2013). Decentralization in Tanzania: Design and application in planning decisions. International Journal of Public Administration, 36(5), 344–353. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2013.767271 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2013.767271

Mwaseba, N., Arthur, B., & Mnasi, H. (2023). Effectiveness of legal framework on the prevalence of malpractices in public procurement of LGAs: A case of Kasulu District Council, Kigoma Tanzania. International Journal of Leadership and Governance, 3(3), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.47604/ijlg.2204 DOI: https://doi.org/10.47604/ijlg.2204

Neuman, W. (2014). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Pearson.

Rugeiyamu, R. (2022). Impromptu decisions: Tanzania's local government authorities' challenge in establishing and managing the Women, Youth, and People with Disabilities Fund. Local Administration Journal, 15(4), 345-361.

Scott, W. R. (1995). Institutions and organizations. SAGE Publications.

Silva, L. C., Macedo, I. M., & Thompson, M. (2024). Revisiting the debate on institutions, the state and institutional change: The relevance of institutional theory to public administration teaching. Teaching Public Administration, 42(1), 85-102. https://doi.org/10.1177/01447394231159985

Stratton, S. J. (2021). Population research: Convenience sampling strategies. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 36(4), 373-374.

https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X21000649 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X21000649

Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An introductory analysis (2nd ed.). Harper & Row.