In preparation for Uganda’s first-ever paperless National Housing and Population Census, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has concluded a comprehensive nine-day training program for over 500 Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) officers. The training took place at Gaddafi Barracks in Jinja District, where soldiers gathered to enhance their skills and knowledge in census enumeration.
Dr. Chris Mukiza, the Executive Director of UBOS, expressed his satisfaction with the involvement of UPDF officers in the census process, highlighting the effectiveness and convenience of having soldiers enumerate their fellow soldiers.
“It was a good idea to have UPDF officers train as supervisors and enumerators, as it would have been difficult for UBOS officials, who are civilians, to access the barracks to count soldiers and their families,” Mukiza said.
Mukiza also extended his gratitude to the UPDF for actively participating in the census, emphasizing the importance of including everyone in the enumeration process. With the establishment of the UPDF Census Committee to coordinate the enumeration of army officers, this level of involvement sets apart UPDF barracks from civilian households.
Brig Gen Ephraim Mugume, the head of the UPDF census committee, explained that participants were selected from various units and formations within the UPDF to serve as battalion supervisors and enumerators. He called upon the trained soldiers to effectively apply the knowledge acquired during the training, combining it with the ideological aspect of the UPDF.
The National Housing and Population Census is set to commence on May 10, 2024, and will run for ten consecutive days. This upcoming census will be the sixth of its kind since Uganda gained independence in 1962 and the third to be conducted by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, which was established in 1998. Notably, this census will be the first in Uganda to be carried out without the use of traditional paper forms, utilizing digital technology for data collection, processing, and dissemination.
