By Evans Najuna
Kampala – The Executive Director of Uganda Bureau of Statistics UBOS, Dr Chris Mukiza has cautioned census supervisors and enumerators on the safety of the census 2024 materials especially the tablets.
Mukiza sounded these strong cautions on Saturday 27th April while releasing the first dispatch of census materials at a warehouse in Ntinda; city suburb to the respective destination districts.
According to Dr. Mukiza, Uganda will for the first time have a paperless census, implying that data will be systematically collected digitally and transmitted via the digital tablets.
He further warned the enumerators that the computer tablets are a property of the government of Uganda,and cautioned them not to use them for their personal benefits.
“Before giving out these gadgets, each enumerator will be required to have a National ID and with a NIN number. We shall take your photo holding these gadgets and your National IDs,” said Mukiza.
He further informed the public that the devices are trackable and cannot be used for any other thing apart from the census.
“Incase of theft, whoever takes it will be caught or if sold we shall first incapacitate it, and will be recovered,” Dr. Mukiza added.
Concerning the allegations and issues being raised in the enumerator recruitment exercise, Dr. Mukiza informed the country that the Bureau has taken a big step by removing unqualified enumerators from the ones who qualify to do the exercise.
“We have requested the district CAOs and warned them that the the Bureau does not require any payment for one to be employed to work as an enumerator or a supervisor enumerator,” Mukiza explained.
He also warned RDCs not to get involved in census activities noting that nothing is required from them apart from offering security during the exercise.
The first dispatch commissioning event was officiated by Minister Amos Lugoloobi, the State Minister for Finance incharge of Planning and Economic Development together with the UBOS Executive Director and census commissioners.
The Minister used the event to remind Ugandans that the census night will be 9th of May 2024, and the census will commence on 10th May which will be a public holiday as announced by the government.
The Minister explained that this year’s national housing population census (NHPC2024) will take 10 days, from 10th-19th. He further Explained that, government has already provided all the necessary funds totalling to over Shs320b such that the exercise can move on well.
He also reminded the country, that as the Ministry, UBOS and other stakeholders that the exercise started two years back especially doing mapping, finding out enumeration areas (EA) and households to be counted.
Lugoloobi assured the country that everyone in each household will be counted.
He expressed his pleasure and appreciation to all stakeholders especially the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) for the progress so far. And assured the country that almost everything needed has been procured and all materials needed are almost ready, noting that a total number of tablets of about 125,000 have already been procured and ready for dispatch.
On the issue of the human capacity to use these tablets, they have been recruited, training done at regional level and district level only remaining with supervisor enumerators and enumerators which will commence on 29th April, 2024
He called up on Local Governments, especially LCs to give enough support to the enumerators while carrying out the exercise and ensure that it goes on well.
He also implored all Ugandans to cooperate with enumerators well and further gave the assurance that as government the information given to enumerators will be used for the betterment of all citizens not taxation as some people are alleging.
“This information is for planning of our country especially on service delivery,” Minister Lugoloobi said.
He rallied all Ugandans to endeavour to participate in the exercise.
*Key highlights*
A total of 120,000 tablets were ordered at total amount of Shs141b, procurement got a percentage swap to 124,000 tablets.
•First dispatch to 6 districts; Gulu, Gulu city, Apac, Alebtong, Amolatar, and Otuke.
•71 districts material almost finished these includes; West Nile sub-region , Lango sub-region, Kigezi subregion (Rukiga, Kabale, Rubanda Kisoro and Kanungu), Karamoja subregion includes; ( Kapyelebyong Soroti), central region including; (Bukomansimbi, Butambala, Ssembabule, Karungu and Mpigi)
•These materials will be received by the KCCA executive director, district CAOs and for municipalities and other cities by Town Clerks.
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