The fate for some teachers who had applied to be enlisted as Census officials hangs in balance. This is after the Teachers Service Commission, TSC, moved to bar teachers from participating in the ongoing census exercise as officials. Via a circular dated 10th July, 2019, the Mandera TSC County Director (through Ahmed Osman) requests the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, KNBS, not to recruit any teacher for the Census jobs.

“The teaching service is undergoing many changes due to the introduction of the
new curriculum, and teachers go through training during the school holidays, this is will not be possible if the teachers are engaged in the forthcoming census exercise,” says Ahmed.

“I therefore remind you to be aware of this program to avoid conflict,” he adds.

The letter which is copied to the Secretary Teachers Service Commission in Nairobi and the County Commissioner – Mandera County, says teachers should not be enlisted for the jobs as it will lead to absenteeism.

“The purpose of this letter is to ask you not to recruit teachers for the exercise,” Ahmed tells the Mandera County Statistics Officer.

This latest move will further fuel debate on whether either Census jobs would be left to the thousands of unemployed youths or Civil servants should also be considered.

Ford Kenya leader, Senator Moses Wetangula, has also voiced his concern; castigating the move by some Civil servants who took leave to take up the Census jobs at the expense of unemployed youths.

“It is unfortunate that as recruitment for the census is on so employed individuals have taken leave to participate in the exercise yet we have several educated and jobless youths who can take up the jobs,” said Hon Wetangula in Nairobi.

“The enumerators must also be locals known to the residents. You just don’t pick anyone from other areas and plant them in the villages,” he added.

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has also rooted for youths to be given the Census jobs; more so enumerators’ jobs. Though the bureau may prefer experienced professionals for supervisory roles, the governor said it would be prudent for enumerator positions to be reserved for jobless youths as part of efforts to counter the unemployment menace.

The KNBS has concluded the process of recruiting Enumerators, ICT and Content Supervisors who will now be trained ahead of the Population and Housing Census exercise in August.

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