Rural to rural migration and local economies: a case study of Kilombero district, Tanzania, 1960 to 2000

This study examined rural to rural migration and how this kind of migration influenced the local economy of Kilombero District from 1960 to 2000. The sources of data for this study were primary written sources, oral interviews, secondary sources, and field observations. The objectives of this study were to examine the factors that influenced immigration into Kilombero District from 1960 to 2000, to analyze the reasons behind the migrants’ decision to settle permanently in Kilombero District, and to determine the socio-economic impact of rural to rural migration on the economy of Kilombero District from 1960 to 2000. The study applied push-and pull theory to find out the factors that acted as drivers of rural to rural migration inKilombero District. The factors included the search for employment, government plans to resettle people in Kilombero District, and family-related issues. Also, the study found that there were various reasons behind the migrants’ decision to settle permanently in Kilombero District. They were the district’s unique climatic condition and land fertility, the receptiveness of the indigenous people, and the acquisition of material resources in the Kilombero Valley, just to mention a few. Moreover, the study revealed that the migrants brought various socio-economic changes in Kilombero District such as the commercialization of agriculture, displacement of the local people, and changes in settlement patterns. The study concludes that the people who migrated to the Kilombero Valley at different times, from 1960 to 2000, played a pivotal role in transforming the local economy