Several cult leaders and believers have been detained in different parts of the country for allegedly refusing to be counted in the ongoing national enumeration exercise.
In the wake of the Police-led arrests yesterday, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) condemned the actions of these groups, saying they undermine the critical national exercise.
The Police in Luweero district confirmed the detention of one Nevas Vella, who allegedly proclaimed himself ‘Jesus Christ’ and some of his believers, for declining enumeration purporting that the census was against their faith’s tenets since they were already counted by the administration of heaven.
“I am counted by God, because I told you I came from heaven and I am not a member of this world. That is why you cannot count me with members of this world. I am a different person,” Vella told detectives and journalists after being detained at Luweero Central Police Station on Monday.
According to local political authorities in Luyima village, Katikamu sub-county, where Vella has his ‘prayer centre’ known as Star Glopper Eden, for the last three to four years, the group has spent in the area, they have declined to participate in any government programmes, including sending their children to school and participating in the vaccination programmes.
The Luweero district Police commander, John Elatu Ojukana, confirmed the arrest of Vella, wondering what he and his group were doing on earth if they belonged to the government of heaven.
UBOS is pacing against time to have all the over 8.7 million households in the country enumerated by May 19 and it has today entered its sixth day, since May 10. Under the theme: It Matters To Be Counted, enumerators are moving from door-todoor from 6:00am till dawn every day to collect data from residents of households found within the borders of Uganda on the census/reference night of May 9.
UBOS SPEAKS OUT
According to Didacus Okoth, the UBOS senior public relations officer, they engaged leaders at the district level up to the community level, including religious leaders and civil society fraternity to support and demystify some beliefs against the census.
“Our call has been one that they continuously encourage their population and their communities to participate in the census because it is good for all of us.
The findings of the census does not segregate anybody, but supports planning for each and every one who lives in this country,” he said. Okoth added:
“So, we continue to encourage leaders to speak to such people and encourage them to appreciate the benefits of being part of the census count.”
On Monday, UBOS reported that 2.6 million households had been enumerated out of the 8.7 million mapped for the first digital census.
The body is set to provide the second update on the exercise progress tomorrow at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala.
This is the 11th time Uganda is conducting census since 1948 and the sixth after independence.
The last census was in 2014, results showed that Uganda had a population of 34 million people and it is projected to have since grown to 46 million. However, this can only be verified through a national census.
ENUMERATOR GIVES BIRTH
In Kiryandongo district, an enumerator in Karuma town council gave birth. Doreen Acaba went into labour while on duty and was rushed to Diima Health Centre III in Diima sub-county, where she gave birth to a healthy baby boy on Monday.
Washington Ocaya, the census supervisor in charge of Karuma town council, said both the enumerator and the child are in good health.
