Archbishop of the Church of Uganda Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu has rallied religious leaders to use their platforms to mobilise and inform their congregations about the importance of the census.
Kaziimba made the call during the National Population and Housing Census 2024 Prayer Breakfast Meeting hosted Uganda National Bureau Of Statistics(UBOS) at Sheraton Gardens Kampala on Thursday.
Archbishop urged religious leaders to emphasise to their audience the importance of indicating their religious affiliations accurately during the census.
“I call upon all religious leaders to emphasize to our people the importance of indicating their religious affiliations accurately during the census. This will ensure that religious diversity within our nation is correctly represented and that our resources can be allocated appropriately to support various communities,” he said.
Kaziimba applauded UBOS for putting religious leaders at the forefront in the cause to popularise this year’s census.
“I thank UBOS for reaching out to us as religious leaders, so that we are fully aware and involved in the 2024 census. This census planning meeting is a key milestone and ability of strong partnerships between UBOS and religious fraternity and those are the steps in the right direction as we work towards having information and data to make critical decisions as a country,” he added.
Mr. Kaziimba called up on political leaders to support the census program and pledged the full support from the Inter Religious Council of Uganda (IRC) in information sharing.
“I urge UBOS to keep engaging us, religious leaders because we’re are FAT (Faithful, Available and Teachable) people,” added Kaziimba.
Dunstan Balaba, the Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) commended religious leaders for their work in ensuring morality and ethical considerations— saying it has helped in promoting inclusive economic growth.
“In our pursuit of sustainable development, we cannot afford to overlook the importance of moral and ethical considerations. This is where your role as religious leaders becomes indispensable. Your teachings on compassion, justice, and solidarity inspire us to work tirelessly for the betterment of all members of society, especially the least fortunate among us,” Mr. Balaba said.
Mr. Balaba also revealed and handed over the memorandum of understanding thst the Office of the Prime Minister signed with the Interreligious Council of Uganda to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals between the Government of Uganda and the faith based constituency in the country.
Dr. Chris Mukiza, the Executive Director of UBOS expressed the organization’s readiness for the census following the completion of mapping activities and the comprehensive training of numerators from all districts of Uganda.
Mukiza’s assurance set the tone for a productive dialogue between UBOS officials and the religious leaders in attendance.
During the event, religious leaders had the opportunity to engage with UBOS representatives, raising questions and seeking clarification on various aspects of the upcoming census.
This event, attended by heads of various religions from across Uganda, marked a significant milestone in the preparations for the upcoming National Population and Housing Census scheduled for May 9, 2024.
