UBOS partners with traditional leaders to improve data collection
UBOS executive director Chris Mukiza said traditional leaders are well placed to provide information on issues affecting communities because they are often the first point of contact for people seeking redress, help and action.
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has partnered with traditional leaders from Eastern Uganda to improve the collection of community-level data. (Photo by Titus Kakembo)
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The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has partnered with traditional leaders from Eastern Uganda to improve the collection of community-level data to help the government better understand and address challenges affecting their subjects.
UBOS executive director Chris Mukiza said traditional leaders are well placed to provide information on issues affecting communities because they are often the first point of contact for people seeking redress, help and action.
Mukiza cited gender-based violence among the issues that require better data, particularly in eastern Uganda, where men, girls and children are among the victims.
“The situation is so bad that when a man reports denial of conjugal rights, beating by his wife or being locked out of the house for coming back home late, he requests the officials not to divulge the information for fear of being ashamed,” Mukiza said.
He was speaking during the signing of a memorandum of understanding between UBOS and traditional leaders at the bureau's headquarters on September 4, 2026.
“We began this collaboration with Buganda and Busoga. Bunyoro-Kitara, Bugisu and Tooro Kingdoms have also come on board. You are closest to the people who trust you with their secrets. This is important data which eases our work,” he said.
Data to guide planning
Tieng Adhola, Deputy Prime Minister Elieza Owor, said the cultural institution wants community data documented to provide a clearer picture of people's livelihoods.
Owor said the information would include births and deaths, education levels, migration and the prevalence of diseases among the population.
“This will enable us to come up with strategies to address challenges faced by the people, including their education levels and the prevalence of diseases among the populace,” he said.
Borders pose challenge
Bugwe Kingdom Deputy Prime Minister Charles Wabwire said communities living along Uganda's borders also need to be properly documented.
He said the colonial demarcation of borders divided communities and created challenges for tracking populations, particularly in areas where people move frequently across porous borders.
“We intend to collaborate with local governments to identify loopholes in data gathering. We will do better, especially after training and being provided with computers,” Wabwire said.
The partnership is expected to strengthen the flow of information between communities, traditional institutions and government, enabling authorities to use more timely data in planning and service delivery.
For UBOS, the collaboration also provides an opportunity to complement periodic national censuses with information collected more regularly at community level.