KAMPALA-Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has announced that it has finalized most of the activities for a successful National Housing and Population Census 2024.
On addressing the press at UBOS headquarters in Kampala on Thursday, Dr Chris Mukiza unveiled the Master plan for census with a series of activities to be implemented before and during the census exercise.
Among this is the recruitment exercise of enumerators which is expected to commence very soon with a number of changes in the process including a mandatory requirement of all enumerators to posses a smart phone with Sim cards registered in their names.
“This time we shall not be paying out cash to enumerators but we shall be sending them money on their Mobile phone numbers using electronic payment system. Those who don’t have number registered under their names don’t apply for these jobs because you won’t be paid.”
He added that to be on safe side, all people recruited must posses smart phones with capacity to upload the questionnaire and the maps so that incase the tablet gets a technical problem, a phone can act as a substitute.
Unlike in the past, this time the recruitment exercise has been decentralized that all people to work in this exercise will be recruited at Local Government level in the areas they are going to work in.
“Each enumerator will work in an enumeration area which consists of a minimum of 50 households and a maximum of 80 households. Villages with small population will be joined together will be joined together well as those with high population will be split into sizeable enumeration areas.”
Mukiza also urged all people not to allow people who are not accompanied by local leaders to conduct census activities in their areas because their people will come with proper identification documents
Census day
The Census night will be on 9th May 2024 and Census Public holiday will be on 10th May 2024.
The Executive Director called upon all people who will be in the country during the census night to be cooperative with the enumerators once they are approached because information that will gathered will not be for taxation purposes but it will be used in planning purposes.
“We shall be counted all people who will be within the borders of this country , we shall be registering them at household levels(those staying within one compound and eat together). The flopping population which includes Street kids , fishermen , drunkards will also be counted in the places where they will be found on the census day.”
Tabs replaced the paper questionaires thus the government will be saving money which has been used in stationary by buying these gadgets which can be used even on other census activities.
Some tabs were procured from one of the local Manufacturers located in Mbale industrial park, well as others will be coming from Abroad.
“The first batch of these gadgets will be in the country by mid March and the last batch will come in by Mid April 2024. The Bureau will also procuring bags, Reflector jackets and umbrellas for all enumerators.”
The Bureau has assessed all would be risks from the exercise and put in place solutions for successful exercise and data safety.
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