Dr. Chris Mukiza, Chief Statistician and Executive Director of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), has emphasized that conducting a National Population Census every five years is achievable as long as the necessary resources are in place, without any magical barriers to hinder it.
He was Friday speaking at the Uganda Statistical Society/UBOS seminar on Leveraging Data and Analytics capabilities for sustainable transformation.
The seminar was premised on building professionalism among Statisticians in the transformation and modernisation of official statistics in Uganda.
The main objective of the Seminar was to strengthen the capacity of staff responsible for handling statistics in the National Statistical System by enhancing their professional statistical skills and awareness.
Dr Mukiza, who was the Chief Guest, said the failure to conduct the census exercise as planned (August 24-25) should not be a cause for alarm.
The Bureau has to postpone the census due to delayed procurement of tablets after it failed to secure Shs132bn from the Ministry of Finance.
The Bureau is still waiting for the Cabinet to announce a new date for the census but Dr Mukiza is confident it will happen in January 2024.
Earlier, Herbert Luggya, an Assistant Lecturer at Kampala International University, had said the census should be after 10 years “so it being in 2024 is the right timing”.
On the shift to artificial intelligence, Luggya said statisticians should move out of their comfort zone and make good use of smartphones to research and up their game.
According to Dr Mukiza, Uganda is still within the UN 2020 round of conducting the census which requires member states to conduct a national census after 10 years to ensure proper planning.
He said by the time Uganda conducted the 2014 Census; it was at the boundary of “a failed state like Somalia”.
Dr Mukiza expressed gratitude to Professor Ben Kiregyera for his dedication to advancing statistics and promoting statisticians to go beyond their traditional roles by sharing data.
In his keynote address, Prof. Ben Kiregyera, a renowned statistician in Africa, discussed the importance of building professionalism among statisticians in Uganda and highlighted the imperative for statistical transformation and modernisation.
Prof. Kiregyera, the founder of the African Statistical Journal and the African Statistical Newsletter, emphasized the need to appreciate the concept of professionalism in statistics and understand its significance in enhancing the field.
He also shared insights on how to achieve and enhance professionalism, considering the changing statistical landscape that requires new capacities and skill sets.
“We ought to add value to the usual statistics. We take account of where is data, what form, how to get it, what to do with it, who is with us,” said UBOS Deputy Executive Director, Godfrey Nabongo.
He added: “We should check our professionalism and appear so; we should be solutions to statistical challenges.”
Prof. James Wakadala is the Dean School of Statistics at Makerere University and Vice President Uganda Statistical Society. James Wokadala, who is both the Vice President of the Uganda Statistical Society and the Dean of Students at Makerere University, discussed the significance of the theme in relation to the UBOS’s mandate.
The society has a long history since its establishment in 1976 to promote standards in the Statistical profession, share experiences to effect research, and teaching and application of statistics.
It has experienced numerous changes and advancements. Some of its events include; monthly statistical seminars, public lectures, and knowledge-sharing workshops, among others.