The impact of social media usage on local government citizen engagement in development in Tanzania: the case of Nachingwea district council in Lindi region.

Mbwele, Tabu (2022) The impact of social media usage on local government citizen engagement in development in Tanzania: the case of Nachingwea district council in Lindi region. Masters thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

This study aimed at examining the impact of social media on local government and citizen engagement in development projects in Tanzania centering Nachingwea district council. Specifically, it examined the level of citizen access and use of social media in local government; identifying the forces behind local government application of social media in citizens’ engagement; determining the effects of its on citizen engagement in development processes; and identifying the challenges facing the effectiveness of social media in citizen engagement in LGA development processes. The study adopted mixed research approaches consisting of quantitative and qualitative methods with cross-sectional study design. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to select respondents while descriptive and Pearson Correlation data analysis methods were used. The findings indicate significant relationships in planning stage, and low relationship in designing, implementing and testing levels on engagement in development programmes. Moreover, strong social media effects on in citizen engagement in council development were noted in inclusive and cohesive society’s effect and increased information flow between government and citizens Besides, moderate relationship was found on enhanced transparency, good governance and citizen participation effects, improved state responsiveness and accountability from public opinion effect and enhanced stake in public development programmes effect. Also, an increase in political participation and enhancing government transparency/ accountability, as well as public awareness and sense of citizenships factors with the social media usage in LGAs was observed. The citizen-led monitoring had weak relationships to citizen engagement. The study concludes that social media has not been useful in engaging citizen in development processes; peoples use it just for socialization and communal interrelation. The study recommends that LGAs should fund and create a transaction-enabled citizen-centered e-government that inform the citizens engagement. Key words: social media, citizen engagement, local government

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