The Government has decried the actions of some households around Kampala and Wakiso districts that have undermined the 2024 national population census agenda.
Chris Mukiza, the executive director at the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), condemned the action of setting dogs on pre-census enumerators, yet they are not criminals.
Mukiza confirmed to the officials that at least two of his officials were bitten by dogs that were set on them in Wakiso district.
He was presiding over the start of a nine-day induction of census trainers from all over the country at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala on Thursday last week.
“In Wakiso, two enumerators have already been bitten by dogs at the homes of influential people like ministers and army officers. The security of enumerators should be guaranteed to achieve accurate data that will help the Government’s effective planning efforts,” Mukiza said.
Uganda is set to conduct the National Population and Housing Census 2024, with the reference night being May 9, 2024.
The census will take place over 10 days, on May 9-19, 2024. Mukiza disclosed that 150 villages in Wakiso district were yet to be listed or mapped.
The Wakiso LC5 chairperson, Matia Lwanga Bwanika, indicated that at first there was a communication gap between the local leaders and the UBOS co-ordination teams, which resulted in some resistance towards the exercise,.
“We did not know many things. But now, as we continue to sensitise and engage the public, all will be well,” he said.
Bwanika feigned ignorance about claims of census officials being bitten by dogs. “I have not heard about it.
lf it indeed happened, it is unfortunate. The solution is for census officers to carry proper identification, lest they be treated like intruders,” Bwanika said.
Meanwhile, in terms of general preparedness, UBOS indicated that the pre-census geo-mapping exercise across the country stood at 97.4%, with some slow progress reported in the Karamoja subregion.
Mukiza indicated that while villages in Moroto district had been 100% listed by Thursday, 29 villages in Abim, Karenga 13, Kotido 28, Amudat 39, Kaabong 13, Kwania 14, Oyam 19, and three in Kole had not yet been listed.
He added that 57% of the villages in Napak were yet to be mapped. Mukiza added that regions such as Bunyoro had already hit 100% in terms of mapping.
Geo-mapping is the process of taking location-based data and is a vital activity ahead of a major census event, and it is done to increase accuracy.
“By April 12, 2024, we should be at 100% in terms of mapping so that we can finalise the budgets for the districts. In this census, we do not want estimates; estimation is not a census; we want accurate data. By census night, you must have listed every household and every village,” he said.
