Shock As UBOS Pulls Down 2024 Census Report

Uganda National Bureau of Statistics Pulls Down 2024 Census Report

The Uganda National Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) has retracted the 2024 National Population and Housing Census main report from its website following widespread public concern.

The removal was prompted by contradicting population figures that sparked a public outcry.

Population Figures Raise Concerns

Released last Thursday, the report indicated that the population of Acholi had dropped from 2,131,443 in 2014 to 1,941,913 in 2024, and that of the Bagisu had fallen from 2,390,975 to 2,096,149 during the same period.

These figures contradicted expectations, raising questions about the accuracy of the report.

This led to intense public debate on social media and various media platforms, with some questioning the authenticity of the data and what might have caused such drastic changes in the population numbers.

Public Reactions and Debates

Social media users, radio hosts, and television commentators discussed whether there had been a crisis in these regions or if the figures had been manipulated.

The debate centered around why only the populations of these two tribes appeared to have fallen while the populations of other tribes had increased.

Ubos Admits Human Error

Responding to the growing concerns, Ubos Executive Director, Mr. Chris Mukiza, addressed the issue on X (formerly Twitter) and during an appearance on the Capital Gang radio talk show.

He attributed the mix-up to a regrettable human error, clarifying that population figures for certain tribes had been accidentally interchanged during the printing process.

“The population figures in the census 2014 for Bakiga and Bagisu; Langi and Acholi were erroneously interchanged at the time of printing, but every tribe experienced growth over the past 10 years,” Mr. Mukiza explained.

Incorrect 2014 Figures

According to the pulled report, incorrect figures had been presented for the Bakiga and Langi in the 2014 census.

The Bakiga were listed as having a population of 1,470,884, and the Langi at 1,647,382, when the correct numbers should have been 2,390,446 for the Bakiga and 2,131,495 for the Langi.

The updated figures for 2024 now place the Bakiga population at 2,947,837 and the Langi at 2,703,277.

Ubos Moves to Correct the Report

Mr. Vincent Senono, Ubos’ Principal Statistician and Acting Deputy Executive Director, acknowledged the error, emphasizing that the mistake was only in the 2014 figures, while the 2024 data remains accurate. He assured the public that the report would be corrected and re-uploaded.

“It is not that we forged the report or changed it. You know when you are writing a report and there are many people, sometimes you ignore small things. So I know Ubos is going to come back to you people to officially clarify. We are removing it (report) from the website now and then upload the revised one,” he explained.

Current 2024 Population Figures

The accurate 2024 census data indicates that the Bagisu population now stands at 2,096,149, up from 1,647,382 in 2014, and the Acholi population is at 1,941,913, up from 1,470,884 during the same period.

Population Growth of Other Tribes

Despite the initial errors, the 2024 census reveals significant population growth across all Ugandan tribes.

Notably, the Baganda remain the largest ethnic group with 7,037,404 people, up from 5,555,319 in 2014.

The Banyankore follow with 4,200,782 people, then the Basoga with 3,703,535, and the Iteso with 3,146,079. Other major tribes include:

• Bakiga: 2,947,837
• Langi: 2,703,277
• Bagisu: 2,096,149
• Acholi: 1,941,913

The smaller tribes include the Lugbara at 1,230,384, Banyoro at 1,218,121, Alur at 1,152,858, and the Bakonzo at 1,104,462. Uganda’s total population, according to the 2024 census, now stands at 45,935,046.

Ubos is expected to re-release the revised version of the report soon, with the errors corrected. Despite the brief confusion, the bureau remains committed to providing accurate and reliable statistical information.

Read the Preliminary Report Here