NAIROBI, KENYA: The government will spend Sh18.5 billion in the coming national population census expected in August.
Speaking in Nairobi Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich said the 2019 exercise will heavily rely on technology and all plans are in place to ensure the process follows international set standards with no political interference.
“I call on Kenyans to give our experts from the Kenya National Bureau of Standards space to do their work, they adhere to international standards and the figures will be accurate and not raise concern,” he said.
“164,700 devices have already been secured for the exercise,” he added.
According to Rotich the 2019 census process has fully embraced modern technology as a best practice to improve on data quality. The technology is expected to enable faster release of census data due to rapid transmission of data from the field teams to the data processing center.
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“The use of Technology enhances quality of the data as it has in built checks, correction of inconsistent responses and cross validation with other records. It is worth noting that the Kenya Bureau of Standards has been using mobile technology in undertaking surveys and therefore has adequate capacity,” he said.
Zachary Mwangi, Director General, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said the exercise began simultaneously in 2015 with the mapping of regions across the country.
The climax of the exercise in August this year will require 135,000 enumerators, 27,000 Content Supervisors and 2,700 Information and Communication Technology Supervisors.
Other category of personnel needed include security, village elders, coordinators and personnel trainers.
In an earlier interview with Standard, a number of County Statistics Officers in Nyanza disclosed that the process began much earlier and that they have finished mapping and verification of areas required for the 2019 Census.
The cartographic mapping, is a process of dividing the whole country into smaller units called enumeration areas which has to be done before census.
It includes gathering, evaluation and processing of source data, through the intellectual and graphical design of the map, to the drawing and reproduction of the final document.
The mapping exercise is conducted using smartphones and the information collected will be used to produce enumeration area maps, to facilitate the census.
The KNBS staff in conjunction with chiefs, assistant chiefs and village elders helped to identify boundaries of each village which has helped in listing them.
“We are calling on the public to be careful not to be conned by people masquerading as recruitment agents of the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics,” he said adding that recruitment shall begin in June at the Sub-County levels.
Kenya has had seven censuses before, two of which were pre-independence. The government has managed to undertake population and housing censuses after every ten years since 1969 and has always set aside budgetary allocation for the process.
The 2019 census is unique as it will be the exercise to be undertaken in the new dispensation of a devolved system of governance.
It is expected to provide comprehensive statistics for a wide range of indicators ranging from fertility, mortality, education and labour among others.
In addition, the census will collect comprehensive information on persons living with disability. This will ensure inclusivity and enable appropriate planning for the needs of all persons. All persons resident in Kenya will be enumerated in order to provide information for planning for our country.
The census will provide statistical information on the size, distribution and characteristics of Kenya’s population that will be used to describe and assess the socio-economic and demographic status.
In addition, the census will provide the much-needed comprehensive data at county and lower levels to inform development planning and programming to facilitate delivery of quality services to the citizens.
Further, at the national level, this information will be useful in monitoring the progress made towards achieving Vision 2030 and more so the Big 4 agenda.
On the global arena, Kenya will be monitoring its progress in achievement of internationally agreed programmes such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
