CENSUS 2024; LET’S SUPPORT THE HOUSEHOLD LISTING AROUND K’LA
“I would like to announce the sixth National Population and Housing Census (NP&HC) that will start on 10th May, 2024”, President Museveni, said, in a statement last week.
The NP&HC will generate up-dated data and information about Uganda’s population size, distribution and its attendant demographic and socio-economic characteristics. This is the basis for evidence-based planning, policy formulation and implementation, by Government, for impactful service delivery.
With activities being undertaked by Uganda Bureau Of Statistics (UBOS), through multi-level partnerships, census enumeration will run from 10th to 19th May 2024, across Uganda. 9th May 2024 will be our census night, with 10th May 2024, designated a public holiday. The President’s message is laudable, considering the preliminary activities of the NP&HC are under-way.
These include listing households, in Uganda, an exercise currently on-going in Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA), encompassing Mukono and Wakiso. This commenced early in March 2024, and is to be concluded this week, in the case of Wakiso and Mukono Districts. In Kampala, listing ends by 15th April 2024. Listing in all areas is from 8am to 6pm.
It entails up-dating particulars of administrative units, including geographical details, down to ward and village levels, as applicable. UBOS is mapping and documenting households, buildings and their location, including personal, commercial and institutional structures.
At the end of this, UBOS will be equipped to ascertain the finer fucntional requirements for the census, including personnel, vehicles, ICT devices and other logistics. UBOS will also identify convenient enumeration locations, up to the lowest administrative units. In so doing, UBOS and partners are referencing the data from Ministry of Local Government, about the units.
Basing on the statistics from the last NP&HC (2014), the on-going listing will capture those changes that have since taken place. Automated from end-to-end, the exercise guarantees confidentiality, for the data and information collected. Field officers are under strict oath to protect the same. To pre-empt impersonation, the officers bear identification credentials and introductory letters issued by UBOS.
Under our first ever digital census, this listing exercise will also deliver interactive satellite maps, with digitally locatable enumeration points. This will ease enumeration, uploading and transmitting data to UBOS’ main Processing Centre. This is one reason the final census results will be issued in real time.
For respondents’convenience, UBOS is going where ALL the people (nationals and non-nationals) are, including residences, work places etc. When flagging off the NP&HC road-map in December 2023, President Museveni stressed that; “We cannot properly plan for people we don’t know”. Which is why census questions for UBOS to administer to our people are meant to; ascertain how many they are, where they are, their conditions, what they own and where they access essential services.
Success of the on-going listing and the subsequent NP&HC activities will hinge, significantly, on participation. Thus, in his statement of last week, the President also urged; “When enumerators come to you, please avail yourselves and provide honest answers to their questions. This will enable them process the most accurate information about you, your household, institutions and community”.
He similarly called for support from influential centres; “I call on political, cultural and religious leaders, private sector players, civil society, the media and institutions of Government, to support this key national programme”.
Yes, let’s support the on-going household listing in GKMA, and the subsequent census activities. For continuous engagement, UBOS has issued contacts including; 0772 - 407 860 (Director, Methodology & Statistical Co-ordination) and 0772 - 492 162 (Director, Population & Social Statistics). It Matters to be Counted.
Moses Watasa
Commissioner, Communication
Ministry of ICT & National Guidance
@MosesWatasa
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