Colman Titus Msoka

Sociology
University of Minnesota
B.A. (1994) and MA (1996) University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
Areas of Research: Urban Development, African Electoral Studies

Nationality: Tanzanian.
I grew up in a little town of Moshi in the Northeastern part of Tanzania. It is a mountainous town with Mount Kilimanjaro at the backyard. I spent 6 years of my early college life at the University of Dar Es Salaam, and learned the difference between a small town and big city. One of them is security, which decline with the increase in city size. Besides, I have traveled extensively in the country, a situation that gave me an advantage of seeing different local urban settings In Tanzania.

I just got back from Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, where I was conducting my dissertation fieldwork. I am looking at the growth of the informal markets in Dar Es Salaam and how those affect activities and lives of the residents. After a long period of hypothesizing, I finally spent quality time in observing, talking, and interviewing people in the streets of Dar Es Salaam. I also talked with the authorities of the city and chambers of commerce with regard to the problem of street vending.

Briefly, I was able to learn many good things about the lives of people in the city. Why informal trade sector is growing from the perspective of the traders, why street vendors are all over the place in Kariakoo, why the city authorities are fighting informal traders, micro-sources of conflict between street vendors and the city government/ formal traders, and the perception of residents of Dar Es Salaam on street vending.

Street vendors can be a source of conflict in a country. Evidence from my stay in Tanzania, has proved that, relocating street vendors is a major political issue in the local government circles. One reason for that is the violence that goes with the exercise. In some of the operations to relocate street vendors, violence led to loss of properties /damages, injuries, excessive use of force by police and other law enforcing instruments.

This fall (2003), I am beginning to write my dissertation.

Interests
Besides writing columns in local Tanzanian papers, I have an interest in African electoral studies and I am collecting information in this area. I am networking with several other scholars from Africa in this. We hope it will be something in the future.