By Asenath Were
In observance of the 2024 National Population and Housing Census (NPHC), Uganda Christian University (UCU) will resume classes and business on May 13. UCU sent a memo announcing the institution’s closure from May 9–10 to enable staff and students to reach their designated census enumeration sites.
“The university shall remain closed for the dates of 9–10 May to allow staff and students to travel to their respective census enumeration locations; services like Allan Galpin Health Center, Janani Luwum Dining, and Security shall remain operational.” The memo stated
The NPHC, which happens every 10 years, was launched by the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, on December 12, 2023. It is set to happen on May 19, 2024, with the census night being May 9.
According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), the census exercise will use digital technology to collect, process, and disseminate census results. This is also the first of its kind, making it a catalyst for digital transformation in Uganda.
The census going digital is purposefully intended to enable UBOS to produce accurate and timely demographic, social, and economic statistics, as emphasized by UBOS.
According to the Executive Director of the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), Dr. Chris Mukiza, Uganda will be carrying out its 6th post-independence National Population and Housing Census (NPHC).
“Concerning the NPHC 2024, it is historic and special in many ways. For instance, aside from being the first-ever digital census in Uganda, it is the immediate census we are carrying out after the COVID-19 pandemic that had ravaging effects on our economy,” Mukiza said.
In preparation for the impending NPHC, interviews and screening exercises were conducted on April 15–17 for supervisors and enumerators, and for those who went through, training began on April 29 and will go on until April 7.
On the other hand, over 36,000 tablets have already been secured by UBOS. This was revealed by Executive Director Charles Mukiza during a meeting with Wakiso district leadership. Each parish will retain two tablets after the census, which will be a valuable resource for future data collection initiatives at the local level.
