Uganda plans 2012 population census
Jul 31, 2008
THE national population and housing census will be carried out in 2012, the National Bureau of Statistics announced yesterday.
By Mary Karugaba
THE national population and housing census will be carried out in 2012, the National Bureau of Statistics announced yesterday.
The bureau’s head, John Male Mukasa, told the parliamentary finance committee that next month, the country would be mapped in preparation for the exercise.
The committee chaired by Tindamanyire Kabondo (NRM) heard that the bureau rejected a Government’s proposal to hold the census in 2010.
“The Government had proposed that we hold the census before the general elections but this proved to be expensive since it would mean compressing most of the activities within two years,†Mukasa said.
The last census, which was conducted in September 2002, put Uganda’s population at 24.8 million. The exercise is usually carried out after every 10 years.
The bureau’s deputy director, Francis Mashate, said about sh50b was needed for the exercise and the finance ministry had provided sh1b to kick-start the process this financial year.
Mashate and Mukasa were defending their budget for this financial year before the committee.
MPs were stunned to learn that the term of the bureau’s board of directors expired two years ago and the finance minister had not appointed new members.
Mukasa told MPs that last financial year, sh5.8b was spent on the census of agriculture, of which the biggest part of the money was spent on vehicles and computers.
THE national population and housing census will be carried out in 2012, the National Bureau of Statistics announced yesterday.
The bureau’s head, John Male Mukasa, told the parliamentary finance committee that next month, the country would be mapped in preparation for the exercise.
The committee chaired by Tindamanyire Kabondo (NRM) heard that the bureau rejected a Government’s proposal to hold the census in 2010.
“The Government had proposed that we hold the census before the general elections but this proved to be expensive since it would mean compressing most of the activities within two years,†Mukasa said.
The last census, which was conducted in September 2002, put Uganda’s population at 24.8 million. The exercise is usually carried out after every 10 years.
The bureau’s deputy director, Francis Mashate, said about sh50b was needed for the exercise and the finance ministry had provided sh1b to kick-start the process this financial year.
Mashate and Mukasa were defending their budget for this financial year before the committee.
MPs were stunned to learn that the term of the bureau’s board of directors expired two years ago and the finance minister had not appointed new members.
Mukasa told MPs that last financial year, sh5.8b was spent on the census of agriculture, of which the biggest part of the money was spent on vehicles and computers.