Why SPA Mutyabule believes census is a good tool in combating poverty in Busoga 

THE Senior Presidential Advisor (SPA) on Poverty Alleviation in Busoga, Mrs. Florence Mutyabule has implored the people in the region to wholly embrace the ongoing National Population and Housing Census (NPHC) as an important national exercise.

Mrs. Mutyabule says through the census, the government gets information on the population and its characters which is a key input used as a basis for a wide variety of planning decisions in the country.

The 2024 NPHC kicked off last Friday which was declared a public holiday but some Ugandans have been making funny comments on social media ridiculing the exercise following some incidents.

In some places, the exercise suffered technical glitches where the tablets were not functional while the network was also another issue, coupled with some hostile citizens who blocked the team from accessing their residences.

Social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly twitter) and Tiktok are littered with all sorts of messages and jokes making fun of the exercise which has swallowed more than 300Bn/= taxpayers money.

However, Mrs Mutyabule is asking residents of Busoga to look at the bigger picture where the data captured will serve to guide the government on how best to put more resources and emphasis.

She says census is not necessarily about knowing the total population alone but other aspects like how Ugandans live, their financial well-being, socio economic activities including income, housing, and access to utilities, among others.

“…lets ignore those minor issues of gadget failure or some cases of indiscipline by citizens in other places and focus on giving accurate information so that UBOS gets quality data…” she appealed.

The former head teacher cum politician says the information captured during the exercise serves to underpin the national statistical system with the census being used as a denominator for other statistics such as Gross Domestic Product.

She has urged all stakeholders like religious, cultural and political leaders plus parents in Busoga to ensure that the exercise goes successfully for the growth and development of the region and country as a whole.

For those whose nature of job does not allow them to be at home for most time and sometimes working in shifts, Mrs. Florence Mutyabule has asked them to write down all the valuable information and leave it behind with the family members to give to the enumerators.

What You Need To Know:

According to UBOS, Uganda kicked off the NPHC 2024 with the reference night being 9th May, 2024.

The census, under the theme: It Matters To Be Counted, is being done in 10 days up to 19th May, 2024.

President Yoweri Museveni who launched the NPHC 2024 activity on 12 December, 2023 was enumerated alongside his wife, First Lady Mama Janet Kataha Museveni by the UBOS chief Dr Chris Mukiza on the Friday afternoon from State Lodge,Nakasero.

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

The census figures play a critical role in guiding planning, policy formulation and programme implementation as well as monitoring development progress in line with the national goals and objectives

Unlike in the past, this census is using digital technology to collect processes and disseminate census results. The digital census will enable UBOS to produce accurate and timely demographic, social and economic statistics..

The census figures play a critical role in guiding planning, policy formulation, and programme implementation as well as monitoring development progress in line with the national goals and objectives.

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

The UBOS was established in 1998 as a semi-autonomous body responsible for coordinating, monitoring and supervising the National Statistical System (NSS).

According to UBOS website, the Bureau supports government’s results-based agenda by providing statistics needed for planning, monitoring development performance and progress in the implementation of major national development policies and initiatives.

Population counts in Uganda started nearly 100 years ago with the 1911 Population Census. Uganda has conducted scientific population and housing censuses at intervals of about ten years since 1948.