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Enumerators and UBOS staff stuck with machines that had logging-in challenges at data collection Centre in Kagadi district on Friday
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On Friday 10th, 2024 the population census exercise by the Uganda Bureau of statistics (UBOS) commenced country wide.
This was the first digital -aided census in the country that saw a number of enumerators fail to operate the computer Aided Personal Interview (CAPI) Machines.
In Kagadi district, the exercise registered little progress on the first day with enumerators getting log- in challenges because of the technology being new.
Prior the exercise, the enumerators underwent a number of trainings with hope to do the work effectively, but failure in the use of machines paralyzed the exercise.
Phiona Mubangizi, a census enumerator in Kagadi town council says putting the mentioned challenges aside, people in the area were well informed about the exercise and are willing to give data.
The tablets according to UBOS representatives in the area failed to start from an off stage while those that powered on, could go off immediately after starting.
Some enumerators said the training they received wasn’t enough as they couldn’t get a hands-on experience to operate the machines.
This is Uganda’s 9th population census, a country that has seen tremendous increase in the number of people in the last decade.
Sister countries in the East African community block such as Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda had their census five years ago.
However, Gershom Alfred Musamali, the publicity and Advocacy advisor for the National population and Housing census 2024 admitted that there were technical glitches in the use of technology and apologized to the public.
‘’We are aware, some enumerators are facing logging -in challenges because the technology is the first of its kind in the country, but we are working around the clock to overcome them’’. Says Musamali.
According to Dr. Chris Mukiza, the executive director of Uganda Bureau of statistics (UBOS), 120,000 portable personal computers with touch screens were purchased at $34m (UGX 132b) through the Third-Party Procurement (TPP) arrangement of the United Nations.
The exercise lasting for 10 days, being run by a Ush333b budget is aiming at getting answers of questions such as How many People? where are they? Where are they? How are they? What do they own? among others from all the households across the country.
Uganda had its first population census in 1911 and has been re-doing it every after 10 years.
President Yoweri Museveni while launching the National Population and Housing Census 2024 at Kololo Independence grounds recently, observed that the exercise is very crucial because it gives answers to all the above questions and the government finds ways to plan for the people.
