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Inside messy start of 2024 population census

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Enumerators count travelers along Jinja Road in Busia Town as the census exercise started shortly after midnight on May 10, 2024. PHOTO/DAVID AWORI

Faulty gadgets and several anomalies across the country have laid bare the ill level of preparation in handling the 2024 population census in Uganda, throwing the credibility of the exercise in doubt.

At the centre of it all is poor quality gadgets, poor training of the enumerators to use the gadgets, inadequate facilitation of the census officials, and a plethora of other anomalies which the government had 10 years to make right ahead of the exercise.

In Teso Sub-region, several residents were left stranded after the enumerators manning the exercise failed to use the gadgets to enter their details.  Particularly in Soroti City, more than 200 enumerators were stuck and immediately gathered at Planes Country Home, which served as a garthering centre point to seek guidance from their immediate supervisors.

“We are stuck, the digital gadget we are using for the census are faulty and are not synchronised to access data. We are here to seek alternative solutions from our supervisors,” Mr John Joseph Odeke, the supervisor in-charge of enumerators in Nakatunya Ward, Soroti City West Division, said.

An enumerator records information of a family in Nebbi Municipality on May 10, 2024. PHOTO | FELIX WAROM OKELLO

Mr Jacob Ojur, another enumerator from Aloet, wondered why the tablets that were functional during training sessions suddenly failed to work.

Ms Elizabeth Luiga, Ubos represeatntive in Soroti City, declined to comment on the faults saying the issue was beyond her capacity.

In Serere District, enumerators were struggling with the challenges of poor networks to enable them to log in, which they said had curtailed their work.

Mr Charles Otim, an enumerator at Igola Village in Kakus Parish, said logging into the tablets was problematic.

Mr Silas Emunyu, the district census IT officer, said the issues arose after some enumerators interchanged the login codes they used during the application process.

“I have intervened and found out that some have just forgotten the numbers they provided, but upon my intervention, the tabs for those who have approached me are now working,” Mr Emunyu said.

The State Minister of Fisheries, Ms Hellen Adoa, who got enumerated at her home in  Igola Village, appealed to enumerators to constantly engage their supervisors for help.

Enumerator James Kalyango nursing wounds after the suspected thugs cut off his ear overnight April 9, 2024 in Njeru Municipality, Buikwe District. Photo | Godfrey Masiko

In Kalangala District, enumerators expressed concerns that they may not accomplish the task in the remaining days. 

Ms Olivia Nakiryo, one of the enumerators in Bujumba Parish, said sometimes when they arrive at a home and start the exercise, the respondents asks for a break to cook food or do something midway.

“The rain has also complicated our work and we might end up requesting for more days to accomplish the work,” she said. 

Enumerators check their tablets ahead of the census at Bat Valley Primary School on May 9, 2024. PHOTO/STEPHEN OTAGE 

In most parts of Kalangala, the exercise on Friday started in the afternoon due to rain which lasted for seven hours.

Ms Veronica Nakazibwe, the supervisor of Bujumba Parish, said the delay in releasing funds to facilitate guides had left many enumerators working without any guide and in some cases, they were forced to use their own upkeep to facilitate the guides.

“We were told that the money for guides will be brought by Ubos workers from the headquarters, who haven’t yet reached. Guides need their money to work with us the whole day,” she said, adding: “the delay in releasing the money for the guides has forced us to work without guides in some places and in others, we had to use our own money to pay them so we could do our work.”

Hostility
Mr Pascal Kanwaji, one of the enumerators in Bujumba Parish, said some residents had proved hostile, saying they don’t want to be counted, insisting that even when they do so, service delivery would never improve.

Mr Yowana Benadentula Musoke, the Ubos representative in Kalangala District, said all enumerators would have received their money by today.

An elderly woman answers questions from a census enumerator from the streets of Kampala on Census night. Photo | Abubaker Lubowa

Masaka District Planner Vincent Lukyamuzi Sande, who doubles as the District Census Officer, said the flash floods from Lake Victoria had displaced many people from landing sites and that these would be counted in groups of their families.

He revealed that Ubos had increased the facilitation fees for enumerators in hard-to-reach areas from Shs20,000 to Shs30,000.

The Namirembe Landing Site chairperson, Mr George Kiwanuka, said about 30 houses were swept away by flood waters, forcing many families to relocate to a nearby forest.  The delays in reaching residents have angered many who feel they have been made to wait unnecessarily. 

The State Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Mr Balaam Barugahara,  wondered why they were being made to wait much longer.

“Been waiting for almost 48 hours for the enumeration team to reach Ntinda Minister’s Village despite being 8km from the Statistics agency. I pray Uganda is covered in the eight remaining days,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter. 

Emma Arege, an enumerator in Oyam District, yesterday said the sim cards provided by Ubos failed to activate, forcing the enumerators to use their own data at their costs.

In Najjera, Wakiso District, Mr Andrew Ssali, an enumerator, was waylaid and killed by thugs as he was heading home from his duty. His gadgets were also taken.  

Dr Chris Mukiza, the executive director of Ubos, said the loss was unfortunate.

Compiled by Franklin Draku, Al Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, David Sekayinga, Malik Fahad Jjingo, Enock Matovu, Simon Emwamu & George Muron