______________

Uganda is set to conduct the National Housing and Population Census 2024 with the reference night being May 9, 2024.

The census, launched by President Yoweri Museveni on December 12, 2023, will be carried out over 10 days, ending May 19, 2024. 

However, urban development state minister Obiga Kania has cautioned local leaders in the areas affected by boundary conflicts in the West Nile sub-region against denying citizens a chance to be counted.

Kania’s warning stems from numerous unresolved boundary disputes pitting different local governments in the region.

He said in the event that all avenues to peacefully resolve the conflicts fail, the security agencies will be used to conduct the census as the affected people are entitled to necessary services from the government.

Kania further cautioned institutions such as religious and cultural against demobilising their followers to participate in the census.

“There is no religion or culture that is against the census and anybody who discourages people from being counted is involved in criminality and the security agencies should take care of him or her,” Kania warned.

Meanwhile, the Resident District Commissioner of Madi-Okollo, Shuaibu Toko, has urged residents to actively participate in the upcoming national census to promote growth and development.

Swaib Toko the Resident District Commissioner Madi okollo district. (Credit: Robert Adiga)

Toko appealed to the public to stay in their regular homes during that time to be counted for proper enumeration.

He further urged locals to provide accurate information to the census teams to enable proper planning for the country.

After every 10 years, Uganda holds a national census and the last one was carried out in 2014.

Digital technology will be applied to collect, process, and disseminate the census results.

The digital census will enable the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) to produce accurate and timely demographic, social and economic.

This will be the eleventh census since the country started conducting one. It will be the sixth in the post-independence period. The earlier censuses were conducted in 1911, 1921, 1931, 1948, 1959, 1969, 1980, 1991, 2002 and 2014.