Community Engagement on Implementation of Standard Gauge Railway Project at Morogoro – Makutupora Segment, Tanzania

Abstract

Community engagement is an important pillar for local governance. The government is responsible for involving people in making decisions that directly affect their own daily lives. In turn, this influences the implementation of decisions made to become easier. The study focused on examining community engagement in the implementation of the SGR project, especially the Lot II from the Morogoro to Makutupora segment. Stakeholders’ theory and Arnstein's theory were used to guide the study. The qualitative approach was used; a sample of 30 respondents was used. The data were collected through the focus group discussion (FGD) method, and content analysis was used to analyse the collected data. The engagement of the community in the SGR project was through the provision of manpower; conducting business activities that benefited people who are working in SGR camps, engaging in guarding and ensuring the security of SGR properties and their people, and providing land. The study concludes that community engagement in decision-making creates motivation for the community. There are different perspectives of community engagement, like social perspective, System perspective, Individual perspective, and visual perspective. The study recommends that there is a need for the government to ensure constant engagement of the community in whatever kind of project is undertaken in the respective community, regardless of the size, nature, and impact of that particular project.  This can be done through inclusivity of all the affected people, by putting in place a mechanism that will reach out to various groups within the community, and ensure their views are considered and taken on board during the entire process of decision-making.