KAMPALA —Dr. Chris Mukiza, Executive Director of Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), has advised critics calling for his resignation over discrepancies in the Bakiga ethnic group’s census data to reconsider.
“Everybody is on my neck. Why waste time on data? Why not say you want my neck?” Dr. Mukiza questioned while addressing the press during a media breakfast in Kampala on Tuesday.
He owned up to the few errors in the data contained in the 2024 Census final report, recently released. “That you want me to resign, what have I done? Tell me. That because an officer erroneously switched the numbers, and you end up saying that Mukiza must go.”
Dr. Mukiza referenced a statement suggesting he should face consequences similar to those experienced by the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director. “Somebody said they should garbage me like the KCCA Executive Director.”
He pointed out that the statement calling for his resignation has done him a favor by enabling him to engage the press on several issues. “You want me to resign, what have I done? Tell me. That an officer erroneously switched the numbers, and you end up saying that Mukiza must go.”
Dr. Mukiza added that, now that he no longer has anyone to pay school fees for, he might consider leaving, but warned that Uganda may end up with an even worse UBOS Executive Director. “You don’t know what you have in Mukiza. In three weeks, I’m going to Washington for a special assignment, and I’m the only one from Africa.”
Among the issues leading to the backlash was the misreporting of data for the Bakiga and Bagisu tribes, where Bakiga’s figures were erroneously attributed to Bagisu during the report’s release. Dr. Mukiza owned up to the error on behalf of UBOS, assuring that corrections have been made and the report’s credibility remains intact.
“People are saying Mukiza must go because of a simple mistake. What have I done?” Dr. Mukiza asked, reiterating his commitment to his role.
