The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) says it has already reached over 60% of the targeted households in the ongoing National Housing and Population Census 2024.
The Bureau said the enumeration exercise which began on Friday 10th May 2024 will go on until 19th May 2024 at 11:59 PM.
“Heads of households that have not been enumerated yet and are normally away during day are encouraged to contact their LCI Chairpersons and give indications of when best they can be enumerated before the end of the exercise,” said UBOS in a statement.
“The public is further informed that the questionnaire is translated into 21 local languages and Enumerators have been selected in such a manner that they will be able to administer the questionnaire in a language that the respondent is familiar with. The public is assured that everyone will be counted by the end of the enumeration exercise.”
While appearing on UBC TV’s “Behind The Headlines” show hosted by Timothy Nyangweso on Wednesday night, UBOS Executive Director, Dr Chis Mukiza, assured the country that everyone would be counted.
“As of today, day 6, we have already exceeded our set targets. By 9:30 pm, we have already reached 60.2% of the targeted households,” he stated.
He added: “The reason for the public’s frustration with us was that many believed we would conduct the census for the entire country in a single day, which was designated as a public holiday.”
Death of enumerators
Dr Mukiza said UBOS has recorded only two deaths of enumerators.
“One was assaulted and murdered by a gang on the second day. The motive behind the killing remains unknown as they did not take the tablet or phone. The second enumerator fell ill while on duty,” he noted.
He said all enumerators fall under the UBOS human resources manual and receive the same treatment as our temporary staff.
“For those who have passed away, we have provided contributions towards funeral expenses and attended their funerals.”
According to Dr Mukiza, the Bureau’s initial challenge was not with tablet availability, but rather with enumerators lacking access rights to the census application because they had not been assigned responsibilities by their supervisors.
“The tablets utilized in the census will continue to be employed during the election process, and additionally, we will allocate two tablets per parish to monitor the Parish Development Model.”
Reactions
Speaking on the same show, National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) Executive Director, Rosemary Kisembo, said the census extends beyond merely tallying individuals to encompass the socio-economic indicators of the country.
“Individuals serve as sources of information for other dimensions of life,” she noted.
Hon Paul Omara, the MP of Otuke County, said the inability of enumerators to access the gadgets on day one raises questions about the recruitment process.
“How could someone acquire a tablet they couldn’t access? Overall, it indicates an administrative oversight. Although Parliament provided all the necessary funds, the issue of enumerator unrest truly highlighted a lapse in terms of preparation. This was due to insufficient information provided to the enumerators,” he stated.
He, however, applauded UBOS for quickly addressing the challenges encountered at the beginning of the Census.
Dr. Fred Muhumuza, the Director Economic Forum at Makerere University Business School (MUBS), said the census was absolutely necessary for national economic data.
“But we must be prudent in assessing the need for extensive investments in gadgets and other resources. We could achieve our objectives with a more conservative budget.”
On her part, Dr Sarah Bireete, the Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), said the rise in negativity and hate speech among citizens regarding the census reflects widespread mistrust in the government’s ability to deliver services post-counting.
“This undermines citizens’ morale to participate in government programs. Another aspect to consider is the privacy of personal data. The primary concern is that many enumerators are being recruited to operate from their own communities, posing concerns for residents being hesitant to share their information,” she noted.
She added: “We might speculate that the enumerator who collapsed on duty was due to exhaustion. The enumerators were deployed without essentials like water and food yet they were on foot.”
