Opportunities For Urban Livestock Keepers In The New Capital City Of Dodoma, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

This study assessed the opportunities for urban livestock keepers in the new capital city of Dodoma with three specific objectives: Identification of opportunities associated with shifting the capital city to Dodoma, establishing the feasible options to Dodoma Urban Livestock Keepers and identifying challenges that may undermine effective utilization of opportunities associated with shifting the capital city to Dodoma. A representative sample of 90 respondents from Ng’hong’honha (30), Iyumbu (30) and Mtumba (30) wards were involved in this study. Survey, observation and Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) methods were used in data collection. Data was analyzed descriptively using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) was used to establish the most feasible opportunities to Urban Livestock Keepers (ULKs. Opportunities associated with capital city shift to Dodoma include Improved Livestock Keeping (63.3%), Business (66.7%), Urban Farming (61.1%), Real Estate (34.4%), Small Scale Industries and Employment (41.1%). The most feasible/suitable opportunities to ULKs include milling (91%), Telecommunication business (79.7%), Grape farming (63%), Poultry (56%) and residential housing (37.3%). Land reduction (97.8%), operational costs (70%) and ignorance of by-laws (67.8%) are the major challenges that will hinder effective utilization of the opportunities.

Recommendations made include city planning authority to hold discussions with ULKs to find a common ground on whether to relocate livestock keepers to designated areas and the possible ways of achieving this goal; awareness creation campaigns by city authorities on city by-laws, opportunities and their requirements and finally DUWASA to explore options to ensure adequate water availability and to integrate urban livestock keeping in urban water supply.