Census to capture clans records for the first time

This year’s National Population and Housing Census, which gets underway on Friday until May 19, will for the first time capture clans, the Executive Director Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos), Dr Chris Mukiza, has revealed.

Dr Mukiza made the remarks while meeting the Kyabazinga of Busoga, William Gabula Nadiope IV, at his palace in Bugembe, Jinja North City Division on May 6.

“We shall look at the sex, age, religion, and clan; we are capturing clans for the first time,” Dr Mukiza said, adding that capturing clans is to get their clear statistics, the identity of people, and how they relate.

“I come from Kisoro, but have relatives in Busoga,” he further added.

Dr Mukiza said questions are aimed at capturing; how many people are in the country, where are those people (location), how are those people living (living standards, conditions of houses), what households own assets (means by which households access information – televisions, radios, phones), and from where they get social services (schools, health services, water and sanitation).

He said the Census Night will be on Thursday, which is the reference date for the entire census enumeration period.

Dr Mukiza added: “We shall ask who stayed at their household on Census Night; those born on May 10 will not be counted because they weren’t living during the night, but one who dies on May 9 will be counted because they lived. That concept is very important.”

He further explained that they plan to publish aggregate information, not individual basis, noting that the results of the census will be out after a month.

“This is the first digital census which will have no huge files of paper; we are to use tablets, input data to headquarters, tabulate and after one month, results will be out.”

To allay any fears of being approached by conmen, Dr Mukiza said every remunerator will have an identity card and name tag with a Quick Response (QR) code, and advised those in doubt to scan the QR code using their smartphones.

Dr Mukiza said he was in Busoga to rally the Kyabazinga to become the census champion for the sub-region and demystify myths within his Kingdom, citing a sect in Mayuge District called Njiri Nkalu, which was once famous for undermining government programmes.

The sect withdrew their children from primary schools in Kityerera sub-county in the late 2000s, and blocked its followers from accessing medical treatment.

“With your word, they (sects) will listen,” Dr Mukiza said, adding that they want to have 100 per cent coverage.

The Kyabazinga said that without proper planning, data and statistics, nothing much can be done and rallied his subjects to embrace the census exercise.

“Be calm, listen and accept to be counted; personally, I will be counted,” he said, before accepting to become the census champion for the sub-region.

Contentious issues

The Ubos also addressed issues concerning counting street children, beggars, deaf, blind and those working in industries.

Dr Mukiza said they have requested the district authorities for interpreters and have marked houses which have blind and deaf respondents, while street children and beggars will be considered under a “floating population” and be subjected to a “floating questionnaire”.

Another concern was of polygamous men who reportedly have many homes and “can’t be everywhere” on Census Night.

The Ubos deputy executive director, Mr Godfrey Nabongho, said such men’s information will be captured in their absentia. “You will appear as many times as your homes, but will be counted once,” he explained.

Overall, Dr Mukiza said they are almost ready. “We are sorting out a few issues, have a team in every region but will be ready by Friday,” he said.

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