MPs set conditions for 2012 census

By Moses Walubiri

Two Members of Parliament have set conditions to be met by Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) before they can mobilize their people for the National population census slated for later this year to smoothly take place.

Addressing a press briefing at Parliament, MPs Odonga Otto (Aruu County) and Ken Lukyamuzi (Rubaga North) dubbed the results of the 2002 population and housing census as “fraudulent” and said UBOS and the population secretariat should tell the public the formulae they use to arrive at those results.

The duo also called upon the Speaker of Parliament to summon UBOS to appear before Parliament to explain the criteria it intends to use in the impending census, establishment of an independent counting commission and the invitation of the international population secretariat to verify that parameters it [UBOS] intends to use in the census are correct.

False data

The two legislators accused government of using suspect population data as a basis for allocating certain regions and local government bigger budgets than their actual population deserve.

“It is not possible by any stretch of imagination that Uganda has 33 million people. These figures are doctored in some regions of the country to justify allocation of bigger budgets to cater for non-existent population. This is a grand fraud,” Otto said.

According to the population and housing census of 2002, the western, eastern, central and northern regions shared 26.4%, 26%, 27.6% and 20% respectively of the general population.

Without revealing the basis of their suspicion, the MPs said Uganda’s population can only be 26 million at most, and that measures must be taken to ensure that this year’s census reflects the “true picture” of the country’s population.

‘Mere politicking’

However, officials from the Bureau on Thursday dismissed the MPs’ demands as mere politicking, saying they use internationally acknowledged standards of statistical data collection and management.

“We use international standards and we will not let politicians derail us,” the source, who requested anonymity, said.

The issue of the true figure of Uganda’s population was came up in the 8th Parliament and  a select committee headed by then West Budama MP, William Oketcho, was constituted by the Speaker of Parliament at that time, Edward Ssekandi, but it never released its report.

Impeachment motion

In a related development, the two MPs also said they have initiated the process to impeach President Museveni over a slew of actions they deemed “inimical” both to the economic and security interests of the country.

Quoting Article 107 (1)(b) (ii) of Uganda’s constitution, the legislators said a team of six lawyers are drafting the impeachment motion which should be ready before the current parliamentary recess draws to a close.

Key among the actions for which they are seeking the President’s impeachment is the alleged printing of two trillion shillings on the President’s alleged directive, the sh142 billion compensation of Hassan Basajjabalaba, institutionalized corruption, botched privatization of Uganda’s parastatals and the “two decades war of attrition in the Acholi sub -region.”

“We have 74 sound reasons why the President should be impeached and we are giving him only one month to consider leaving honorably. After the recess, the situation would be very different,” Lukyamuzi said.

Under the Constitution, one third of Members of Parliament need to append their signatures before a formal motion of impeaching a sitting President is tabled on the floor of Parliament for debate. However, two thirds majority need to support the motion to remove a sitting President.