In a significant leap toward harnessing technology for national planning and development, Uganda is set to conduct a landmark digital census starting with 9th May 2024 as the Census reference night and the enumeration period scheduled for 10th-19th May 2024. As specified in the Plan for National Statistical Development (PNSD), the 2024 National Population and Housing Census (NPHC) is carried out by Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) led by the Census Commissioner (CC) who is the Executive Director (ED) Dr. Chris Mukiza. The digital census will be carried out using Computer Assisted Personal interview (CAPI) tablets and use of Global Positioning System (GPS). The census information can be used in leveraging government programs including Parish development model, youth livelihood program and also in the development of NDP IV, as we aim at becoming a middle income economy as stipulated in Vision 2040.
Distinguished staff members from Makerere University, School of Statistics and Planning (SSP), College of Business and Management Sciences (COBAMS) have played a pivotal role in supporting the census preparation phase and enumeration phases to ensure a successful digital census. This engagement aims to ensure the collection of accurate, timely, comprehensive data to guide the country’s policies, planning and vision.
The selected team comprises Dr. Odur Bernard, Dr. Nansubuga Elizabeth, Dr. Nankinga Olivia, Dr. Patricia Ndugga and Dr. Margaret Banga. The selected staff members bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, making them ideal contributors to the national census’s success. These were been deployed to different areas as District or City Census Commissioner’s Representative. Their role involves providing oversight, supervision and ensuring the smooth running of the census exercise in these districts in collaboration with UBOS.
Pivotal to this exercise, the faculty also trained district and sub-county officers of which information the officers would later use in training the enumerators and the parish/ward supervisors on the entire census process and data collection.
Makerere University through the school of statistics and planning has also been represented at the Census Technical Advisory Committee (CTAC) by Assoc. Prof. James Wokadala. The CTAC is composed of members of the Inter-Agency Committee of the Plan for National Statistics Development (PNSD) and other co-opted members from Academia, Media and Research institutions. Further, the involvement of Makerere University‘s staff brings a level of expertise and dedication that will undoubtedly contribute to the census’s success. With their support, Uganda is poised to set a new standard in data collection and analysis, paving the way for a more informed and progressive nation.
Bridging Academia and National Development
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has a standing partnership with Makerere University, as represented by Dr. Allen Kabagenyi a staff member of SSP who was appointed by Cabinet as member of the UBOS Board of Directors as representative of all academic institutions in Uganda teaching statistics. The partnership between Makerere University and UBOS underscores the importance of collaboration between academia and government in achieving national development goals.
To support the 2024 Census, Makerere University adjusted the Semester and Examinations excluding 8th– 10th May 2024 to enable staff and students participate in the national exercise resuming on 11th May 2024. The university is applauded for revising the semester for this important 2024 digital census represents a significant step toward modernizing Uganda’s data collection practices, allowing for more efficient analysis, timely dissemination for better-informed decision-making.
Dr. Kabagenyi, mentioned that the overall aim of the National Population and Housing Census (NPHC) 2024 was to provide benchmark information on the spatial population distribution, age and sex structure, as well as other key socio-economic and demographic characteristics. She further said the Department of Population Studies, part of the School of Statistics and Planning, has over the years trained scholars in different methodologies of Collecting population Data and the national population Census being one of them. The Census provides information on the country’s population size, distribution, demographic and the socio economic characteristics of a county’s population.
Further by “leveraging on digital technologies, we can collect more accurate, detailed and timely data, which is crucial for national planning. Our team is excited to contribute to this historic event and support Uganda’s journey toward a more data-driven future.” She further applauds Makerere University Council and Management for adjusting Semester II 2023/2024 for a critical government national program.
Sharing some insight into the census process, Dr. Kabagenyi said if one is not at home, another person who is knowledgeable enough to respond to the census questionnaire can be interviewed.