Preparation for Uganda’s 6th national census stands at 90.3 per cent with 50 districts having complete clean data, 58 districts, and cities at 90 per cent, 18 districts above 80 per cent, and the rest below 70 per cent according to the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics (UBOS ).
The census is set to be carried out on the night of the 9th leading to May 10th, 2024 with more than 120,000 enumerators are set to be recruited. Chris Mukiza, Ubos executive director, said that the census will be digitized, including payments of the enumerators to avoid costs of middlemen.
“All the people we are going to work with must have mobile money numbers registered in their names not those of their relatives, friends, or neighbours. If you don’t have a number registered in your name we shall not pay you through any other person’s number, ” Mukiza emphasized.
Mukisa also added that tablets and smartphones should have the capacity to hold the enumeration data and other requirements.
One of the conditions we’re going to use to recruit enumerators is that they must have smartphones as a plan B. A smartphone that has the capacity to load that questionnaire, to carry the digital map and use it…Another condition for enumerators is that they must have telephone numbers registered in their names as on the national ID,” said Mukisa.
According to Mukiza, Ubos will work with the local governments in the recruitment process of the enumerators, specifically to mobilize people to apply, but the appointment will be conducted at the Ubos headquarters to avoid corruption tendencies.
We are yet to set all the conditions required for an enumerator, but it will soon be set and it’s here at the headquarters where the final selection will be made according to those conditions,” he said.
Mukiza said that each enumerator is expected to count 50 to 80 households. These exclude the districts of Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso, whose works are yet to start and require different strategies due to the population structure. Mukisa also revealed that the first batch of tablets that will be used in the census is expected early next month.
