Tanzania’s Ministry of Lands has presented a set of strategies aimed at reducing long-standing land disputes across the country, sparking detailed debate in Parliament.

The proposals focus on improving land administration systems, strengthening land registration processes, and enhancing dispute resolution mechanisms at local levels.However, Members of Parliament have expressed concern that the proposed measures may not fully address the root causes of the conflicts.

Lawmakers emphasized that many land disputes in Tanzania arise from deeper structural issues such as overlapping land claims, unclear boundaries, weak documentation systems, and competing interests between communities, pastoralists, farmers, and investors.They argued that unless these fundamental problems are tackled directly, any reforms may only provide temporary relief.

The discussion also highlighted how land disputes have increasingly affected agricultural productivity, investment confidence, and social harmony in various regions.

MPs pointed out that transparency in land allocation is still a major concern, especially when large land parcels are assigned to investors without sufficient community consultation or fair compensation mechanisms.Another key issue raised was the capacity of the judiciary, which continues to face a backlog of land-related cases that often take years to resolve.Parliamentarians suggested the creation of specialized land tribunals or courts to speed up justice delivery.

Additionally, the debate noted regional differences in land conflicts, from pastoral areas in the north to farming zones in the south and coastal regions, requiring flexible but consistent national policies.The complexity of combining customary land tenure systems with formal statutory laws was also highlighted as a major challenge.

Overall, MPs called for stronger political commitment, increased funding, and more practical implementation plans to ensure the ministry’s strategies can effectively resolve land conflicts and promote fairness and stability in land governance across Tanzania.