Minister for Planning Wycliffe Oparanya during the launch of the 2009 National Census. Photo/FILE
By HASSAN HUKA hassan_huka@yahoo.co.uk
Posted Sunday, August 14 2011 at 22:00
Posted Sunday, August 14 2011 at 22:00
IN SUMMARY
- Politicians are among five lobby groups urging Oparanya to ensure recount in Northern Kenya
Pressure is piling on Planning minister Wycliffe Oparanya to carry out a repeat census in Northern Kenya.
Two top politicians in the area have joined five lobby groups that operate actively in the region to petition Mr Oparanya not to succumb to the objections against the head count by area MPs.
Special Programmes assistant minister Mohammed Ali and Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands assistant minister Hussein Sasura called for a repeat of the census, saying the Borana community was undercounted in the 2009 national census.
Mr Ali, who is also the Moyale MP, said the 2009 census did not capture well the number of Borana people.
Since it is a nomadic community, the majority of the members had moved into Ethiopia in search of pasture for their livestock during the census, he added. At the time the count was carried out, the region was experiencing severe drought, the assistant minister said.
They said the Planning ministry ignored their advice to withhold the census until the nomads came back into the country.
“As the government repeats the counting in Mandera and Turkana, we also want the same done in Isiolo and Marsabit counties to correct the mistakes of 2009,” said Mr Ali.
According to Mr Ali, the population of the Boranas, who include the Boran and Sakuje living in Kenya, is more than 500,000 as opposed to the census result of 161,399.
Mr Sasura accused former regimes of using similar misleading information to withhold development activities intended for the region.
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