Local Government and the Management of Urban Services in Tanzania

This chapter outlines some of the problems of urban growth and the management of urban services in Tanzania, as exemplified by six urban centers: Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, Tanga, Morogoro, Moshi, and Tabora. It aims to describe the gap in our knowledge of recent urban growth and its implications for the finance, delivery, and management of urban services. The challenge facing urban local governments in Tanzania is to solve the pressing urban problems within an environment of limited resources and institutional constraints. Urban local governments also face the challenge of creating productive employment opportunities which can pay for urban services. For instance, practices like the keeping of poultry, pigs, and dairy cattle as well as the growing of permanent crops and fruits are a health risk to both owners and neighbors in a crowded urban setting. Preference in resource allocation was in favor of rural areas, with attempts being made to integrate urban and rural services.