Prime
Ubos postpones census
A census enumerator records data from a family in Kampala during the national housing and population census in 2014. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- According to the bureau, the decision to delay the census is due to the need for more time to procure the necessary tablets to facilitate a digital approach to the exercise.
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has announced the postponement of the National Census, originally scheduled for August, to a later undisclosed date.
According to the bureau, the decision to delay the census is due to the need for more time to procure the necessary tablets to facilitate a digital approach to the exercise.
During a press briefing on July 13 at the UBOS Headquarters in Kampala, Mr. Godfrey Nabongo, the Deputy Executive Director of UBOS, informed journalists that the bureau faced financial challenges in the previous financial year.
They sought permission from the government, through the Ministry of Finance, to reallocate funds for pre-census activities, which was granted. Despite achieving most of their targets, they are now reporting to the Ministry of Finance and Cabinet to seek guidance on the best course of action in light of the circumstances.
Mr Nabongo said, “We are making proposals and we expect government to give us a position on when we must do the census. Definitely August is turning out not to be tenable given where we are in terms of readiness and especially because of the procurement of the tablets.”
He added that the government should be able to announce the new dates for the census in the soon.
This year's National Census will be the sixth conducted in post-independent Uganda, with the last one taking place in 2014.
The census results play a crucial role in guiding planning, policy formulation, program implementation, and monitoring development progress, aligning with the objectives of the National Development Plan (NDP III). It also serves as a foundation for the formulation of NDP IV and the implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM).
Approximately 120,000 individuals are expected to be recruited and deployed across different parts of the country to assist in the enumeration process.
