By George Bukenya
Uganda National Bureau of Statistics have extended enumeration exercise for five days to allow citizens who haven’t been enumerated to also be involved in the exercise so as to leave no one behind.
The extension was announced by Mr. Godfrey Nabongo the Deputy Director of UBOS while addressing reporters at Naguru Police Headquarters on 20th May,2024.
He said that the extension was due to areas which started three days late while in most urban areas enumerators failed to complete on time because of some residents who seemed to be very busy and couldn’t spare time to stay at their homes and he is optimistic that in the added time they will be counted.
The areas affected here include; greater Kampala, Kalenge and Amudat ,Kabongo in Kalamoja Sub-region , Terego in Gulu and a few others were the enumeration exercise was delayed due to unforeseen challenges.
However, Nabongo said there will be no extra pay for the enumerators and their supervisors for those extra days because they are just finishing their obligations as per the agreement they signed with UBOS.
“We are now in moping period and this will be done in five days only to cater for time wasted in areas were enumeration exercise wasn’t started on time and in a few areas where some sizeable number wasn’t counted the ten days ended.” Nabonga explained.
He also revealed that a total of 10.4 million households have been covered in the Census exercise making 98% of the targeted number of households as per the Census plan.
Meanwhile Police report indicates that 8 enumeration tablets have been stolen from the enumerators as they reported theft cases to their respective area police stations.
Tumushabe Willy an enumerator in Wandegeya Parish and a resident of Kimwanyi Zone in the same Parish reported to police the incident of robbery of the gadget alleging that goons broke into his room and stole it with her other belongs such as mobile phone.
Four other gadgets were stolen from Zainabu a supervisor in Mukono one was also stolen from Christopher also a supervisor. While Mukisa Rebecca in Kikandwa Parish, Kakiri Town Council, Wakiso District report theft of the tablet and Vincent Mutebi also told Police that goons broke the window of his rented room and stole the gadget.
The Deputy UBOS Director also said that after the exercise the Bureau is now ready to pay enumerators who have completed their assignments but these have to first return the entity’s tablets before their money is wired on their mobile phone numbers.