The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has announced the possibility of extending the National Population and Housing Census exercise after numerous complaints emerged about a significant portion of the population not being enumerated.
During a press briefing at the UBOS headquarters in Kampala yesterday, UBOS Executive Director Dr. Chris Mukiza revealed that the census, which concluded on May 26, achieved an overall enumeration coverage of 99%. The census aimed to cover 10.47 million households in 2024.
Dr. Mukiza cited several reasons for the unenumerated one percent of the population, including inaccessible premises, single household members who were away during enumeration, and individuals who outright refused to participate. He mentioned that while a specific new deadline has not been established, the bureau will assess all complaints by Friday to determine the necessary extension period.
“We know those who refused to open their gates for the enumerators. With our system, if you fail to open for the enumerator, it is recorded. These tablets have GPS, so everyone who refused to open for the enumerators, we can’t come back to your premises,” Dr. Mukiza stated.
He elaborated that the most affected areas were in Kampala. To address this, UBOS will deploy its staff to enumerate those missed, as the hired enumerators have completed their tasks.
“For those who the enumerators skipped, we shall go back to them within this week. I have prepared all the vehicles. It is going to be done by our people. As for the enumerators, their job was done last Sunday,” he said.
This marks the second extension of the census deadline. Initially scheduled for May 10 to May 19, the exercise was extended to May 26 due to technical issues faced by enumerators in certain areas. According to Dr. Mukiza, the United Nations recommends that population census fieldwork should not exceed 30 days, a guideline UBOS intends to adhere to.
Preliminary data collected by UBOS indicates a notable increase in the number of households and a decrease in household size.
“Many of these households, especially in Greater Kampala, are one-person households. There are so many single and two-bedroomed households, and that is why the household size has significantly reduced,” Dr. Mukiza explained.
Uganda Bereau of Statistics is committed to its census roadmap and plans to release the preliminary results of the census on June 24, provisional results on September 24, and the final report on December 24.
