The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, KNBS, Board Chairman Mr Peter Kiguta has confirmed that recruitment of Census personnel conducted through County Census Committees is complete. Mr Kiguta said focus will now be turned to training of the personnel who will oversee the all important exercise. Enumerators who will be carrying out the real data collection have been carefully selected; They have been recruited from the counties and wards where they come from through county census committees. On the Reference Night (24th August 2019) enumerators will visit houses that have already been mapped out into Enumeration Areas.
At each household, enumerators will seek information from the head of the households using a questionnaire which is divided into 8 sections: population characteristics, disability, education, labour force, ICTs, agriculture, housing and amenities, household assets.
Mr Peter Kiguta has at the same time appealed to faith-based organisations to embrace the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census slated for 24th/25th August. Mr Kiguta urged the organisations to utilize their networks and infrastructure to deliver Census messages and materials to their congregations across the country.
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Speaking during a breakfast meeting with the organisations at Kenyatta International Convention Centre on Wednesday 17th July- 2019, Mr Kiguta said, “We would like to make a special request to you to share information about the census through announcements during services and prayers to all congregations. As the census approaches, we will be reaching out to you and give you census materials to be distributed across the country”.
He also requested the leaders to encourage household heads in their congregations to receive census enumerators, and to provide all information required. He indicated that the census takes place after every ten years and the information sought is of great value to the government.
For the first time, the enumeration process will be paperless because data will be captured using tablets. KNBS Director General Mr Zachary Mwangi reiterated that the use of technology during the enumeration process will shorten the time taken to release preliminary results, which would be three months after the completion of enumeration. Mr Mwangi also said data would be transmitted to the server from the start of enumeration in real time.
The Census is an important process to which the Government attaches great value, due to the need for evidence in planning. In relation to this, Mr Mwangi said, “data generated will be used to up-date various socio-economic and demographic indicators, provide benchmark indicators, resource allocation, review of administrative boundaries, give population projections, develop sampling frames and used for research”.
This meeting was held as part of the intensive nationwide communication and advocacy campaigns that will involve a combination of approaches including the use of traditional and social media, face-to-face meetings with various leaders and dissemination of information, education and communication materials to the lowest administrative units.
The 2019 Population and Housing Census, it the sixth since Kenya attained independence. It is the first census to be conducted since the introduction of devolution as provided for by the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
The Census is an important process to which the Government attaches great value, due to the need for evidence in planning. Evidence-based decision making is a universally recognised approach to the efficient management of countries.
The United Nations recognises the importance of population and housing Censuses and therefore has issued international principles and recommendations to assist statistical offices and Census officials, throughout the world, in planning and carrying out improved and cost-effective censuses.
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