2024 Population Census: Preparatory Works at 90.3%

Summary:

• Uganda is set to carry out its 6th national population census, marking the country’s first digital census, with no paper and pen involved.

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The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has revealed that the preparatory works for the upcoming national population census have reached 90.3 percent.

On 9th/10th May 2024, Uganda is set to carry out its 6th national population census, marking the country’s first digital census, with no paper and pen involved. The exercise is expected to be enumerated using tablets directly connected to the central data system controlled at the UBOS headquarters.

While speaking to journalists about the progress of the preparations, Chris Mukiza, the UBOS executive director, mentioned that the data-cleaning process, the foundation of the census, is at over a 90 percent completion rate in most of the districts.

“Some districts have finished their data cleanups, many have cleaned to over 90 percent, though they thought to be at 100, they have some minimal irregularities, which we sent them back to correct. However, there are a few districts letting us down, districts like Nwoya, which has remained at 76 percent for the longest time, and that’s why we are at an average of a 90.3 percent completion rate,” Mukiza explained.

According to the Executive director, 50 districts have cleaned their data, 58 districts and cities have exceeded 90 percent preparation works in data cleaning, 18 districts are above 80 percent, the rest are still below that number, except Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso where the works have not yet started. “The above percentages exclude those of the Kampala metropolitan area where we have not yet started the data-cleaning works because of the complexity of the population and the pattern of settlements in this area,” he said.

This digital census is expected to employ up to 120,000 people as enumerators, and Mukiza says some of the conditions are a smartphone and a mobile money registered number.

“One of the conditions for the people we are going to work with is to own a smartphone that has the capacity to load all the maps and the required information in the enumeration process because these will be used as backup in case of a shortcoming about the tablets. The other is they must have a mobile money number registered in their names because it is the only way we shall be paying them, and we will not pay to any mobile number that is not in the names of the person who worked.”

The enumerators will be using tablets, whose first batch the executive director says will be reaching the country by the 15th of March, and the other will be before the end of next month. He adds that 20,000 of these tablets were locally sourced from a Mbale-based manufacturer, from which up to 30,000 shillings were saved on each.