Kenyans to be counted on August 24th
by John Ndeta, Ajabu News Contributor

NAIROBI_Kenaya--JULY 12--Population census exercise in Kenya will take place on the night of August 24th 2009 to establish the actual number of Kenyans as of today. The exercise will cater for Kenyans in diaspora as the questionnaires to be filled by those at home has a column for their names, yearly remittances and the foreign countries of domicile.

The Government last week announced that the census exercise would only be conducted based on 158 districts and not the over 200 following creation of new ones.

“We received a wide-range of petitions from representatives of several communities complaining about why they had been placed under certain tribes. They gave interesting information and we agreed that we shall take their views into consideration,” said the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Director-General Anthony Kilele.

He added, “Some of the communities had even threatened to move to court if we did not act but we managed to resolve the matter amicably.”

Kilele and Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya stated that the question on whose tribe one hails from would stay during the census as it was not a threat to national cohesion.

Besides the tribe/nationality, among other questions that would be asked are; one’s name, who is the head of a particular household, birth place, parents’ names and whether or not they are alive, previous residence, educational background, for how long one has been in his/or current place of residence, particulars of all live births, when one’s last child was born, children still alive and those elsewhere, if any.

Also among the data to be collected from individuals and households includes, educational attainment and disability status of all Kenyans.

Kilele said there were some tribes that had become extinct after they were placed under others. He cited a tribe that existed among the Meru and Embu and which last had about ten members, but had since become extinct.

The Government also announced that people would be counted from wherever they are and dismissed claims that bars and other entertainment spots would be shut on the census night.

Oparanya also said the Government was working round the clock to ensure that Kenyans still living in camps following the last year’s post-election violence were resettled before the census date; and if not, they would still be counted from where they are.

He also said the Government would reach out to pastoralists who have currently crossed to some neighbouring countries in such of water and pasture, and count them.

“According to us, Migingo is in Kenya. But if a survey being conducted at the moment places it under Uganda, we shall just simply deduct the numbers we got from the island,” said Oparanya.

The officials were speaking at a Kenya National Bureau of Statistics/Editors’ Guild breakfast meeting at a Nairobi hotel. Also present was the Nairobi Provincial Commissioner James Waweru and the Director of Population Dr. Collins Opiyo. The function also saw the official logo for the census unveiled.

Oparanya said they had put measures in place to ensure the census was conducted credibly and that provisional results would be known by December 31 this year.

The minister stated that the Government was funding 95 per cent of the Sh. 7.4 billion to be spent on the census while the rest would be provided by donors on specific items. He said out of the amount, Sh. 2 billion had already been spent.

He pointed out that for the first time, external monitors would also be involved in the census to ascertain whether the exercise whose theme is “Counting Our People for the Implementation of Vision 2030” had been conducted in a credible manner.

He said about 130,000 supervisors and enumerators, who were being recruited to conduct the census, would undergo a seven-day training. He warned that if the recruitment rules would be flouted, then the exercise would be canceled and conducted afresh.

“This census employs new technology for better accuracy and faster ocessing of the date. These technologies include the use of special software to automatically read the hand-printed responses on the census form and mapping technology,” said the minister.

“The enumerators are expected to visit households on the reference night and will spend about 30 minutes in each house, though this may be shorter or longer depending on the number of members in the household,” he added.

Oparanya said results of the census would enable the Government plan for its citizens as it strives to achieve Vision 2030.

He said concerns raised by Muslims over the census as it will be conducted in the month of Ramadhan would also be addressed.

The media in Kenya urged the Government to ensure the exercise was credible and not kick up a storm as what happened with the poverty index results and 2007 presidential polls.