Census Update

The government on Thursday said 71 percent of Kenya’s households had been captured by the fourth day of the on-going National Housing and Population Census exercise.

In a statement, Director General of the National Bureau of Statistics Antony Kilele said 81 percent of Central and Nairobi province homes had been visited while North Eastern was lowest at 55 percent due to inaccessibility.

He said counting will be complete by Monday.

“Rift Valley – 65percent, Nyanza – 75 percent, Coast – 61 percent (with Kilindini with over 90 percent covered), Western – 74 percent and Eastern – 64 percent of the population was covered,” he said.

Mr Kilele said he was positive that counting would be concluded on Thursday evening in most regions.

“We would like to reassure you that the Census exercise is well on track and we will be able to complete the entire exercise within the specified period of time,” he said and added that for those who will have not been counted, call-back cards would be left in their houses indicating when enumerators would return.

Those not enumerated by August 29 have been urged to report to their local provincial administrative offices.

Meanwhile, enumerators expressed optimism that they would complete the counting exercise on time.

Joseph Ndobi an enumerator in Nairobi West said most of the Nairobi population had already been captured.

“We have been fairing well because we have counted most of the people living in Nairobi. We are on our final touches re-visiting homes that we did not find people around,” he said.

He said absenteeism was a major challenge since they have to keep on visiting some homes several times hoping to find someone to enumerate.

“It’s hard to know when the working class will come back home. Sometimes I have to wait for a long time. I heard one of us was arrested yesterday so I can’t stay until late. I have to leave and try the following day,” he explained.

“Until I count them, I will continue going to those homes because I have to fill that data, though sometimes I am forced to leave a call-back card.”

Mr Ndobi also said enumerators have to spend a lot of time in some homes because some of them have many people living there.

“Like in some houses, we are even finding 20 people living together, and we have to interview one at a time because of secrecy, this takes a lot of time,” he said.

Maureen Sifuna another enumerator said it was not an easy process since some Kenyans were uncooperative.

She said disclosing one’s tribe was still a serious concern with most people declining to identify where they come from.

“But as we talk with them, somehow we get to know their tribe. We are appealing to people to identify their tribe, in fact we are not even writing the tribe by name but by codes, and it is for the good of this country, actually what is wrong with disclosing your tribe?”