Dr. Chris Mukiza, the Commissioner of the Census and Executive Director of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), has criticized the politicization of the National Population and Housing Census (NPHS) by certain individuals, emphasizing that the exercise is apolitical and its benefits extend to all citizens regardless of their political affiliations.
Dr. Mukiza clarified that census data serves solely for governmental planning, policy formulation, and economic decision-making, refuting claims made by some politicians suggesting universal accessibility.
Speaking at a press briefing held at Statistics House in Kampala on Thursday, Dr. Mukiza announced that the bureau has finalized the identification of both international and domestic suppliers, with the initial batch of tablets expected to arrive by mid-March.
“Procurement of other necessary materials, including reflector jackets for staff, is also underway,” he affirmed.
The technologically advanced National Population and Housing Census (NPHS) 2024 is scheduled to take place from May 10-19, with ongoing development of digital maps to generate comprehensive area maps for the entire country.
Dr. Mukiza outlined plans for an e-recruitment process, starting with the advertisement for supervisory and enumerating positions at district, sub-county, town council, and ward levels, slated to commence in late February. Successful applicants will undergo training in April before deployment in May.
“The advertisement is expected to run in late February, and it will be followed by the appointment and training of successfully recruited staff during the month of April before deployment in May,” he noted.
President’s recent declaration of the first day of enumeration as a Census public holiday aims to facilitate easy recall of the census night during the enumeration period.
The 2014 census, the country’s last and fifth since independence, reported a total population of 34.9 million, marking an increase of 10.7 million from the 2002 census.
Conducted through face-to-face interviews by enumerators, the census covered various demographic and socio-economic topics, including housing conditions and disability, across 7.3 million households with 34.4 million inhabitants.
The census projected an average annual growth rate of 3.03 percent, anticipating a population increase to 47.4 million by 2025.