Photo/FILE Through the smoothening process the new and adjusted total population of Kenya was put at 37,724,850 as at 2009.
By CAROLINE WAFULA cwafula@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, February 25 2012 at 19:44
Posted Saturday, February 25 2012 at 19:44
Kenya’s population has been officially revised to 37.7 million after the government revised the 2009 census results and knocked the figures back by nearly 900,000.
The final analysis also revealed that there were no errors in Turkana County whose results had earlier been cancelled, Planning minister Wycliffe Oparanya told the Sunday Nation this week.
The rationalisation exercise, referred to as smoothening, involves adjustment of the figures using international demographic instruments where such figures have varied widely from the projected result.
The preliminary results released on August 2010 gave a total population of 38,610,097 people.
Through the smoothening process, however, the new and adjusted total population of Kenya was put at 37,724,850 as at 2009.
Mr Oparanya said it will no longer be necessary to carry out a repeat census in eight contested districts following the adjustment.
“We had decided, as a government, to repeat the exercise immediately and that was after one year. However, it was not possible because of the court order.
“Since it has taken a while, that is why we have now smoothened and the repeat exercise will not be necessary,” he stated.
Mr Oparanya explained that the results were evaluated using processes that were meant to gauge the accuracy of the data and help inform users on the level of reliability of indicators generated.
Been carried out
“This standard practice has been carried out in all the previous censuses in the country,” the minister said.
After the release of the results, the minister had cancelled those from eight districts in Turkana, Mandera and Wajir counties. (READ: How North Eastern figures went wrong)
After the smoothening process, the results from Turkana county were confirmed as correct.
However, those from Mandera and Wajir counties were knocked back by the smoothening process by nearly 600,000.
Mr Oparanya explained that since the release of the results, further analysis had been carried out to correct coverage and content errors for the whole country, including areas where the results were not cancelled.
“This is a normal process recommended by the United Nations principles and recommendations for census-taking and is often undertaken after the release of the preliminary results in all countries prior to the release of the final official results,” he explained.
The minister said that the smoothening of figures did not run counter to the court ruling and the new figures would be used in determining any additional constituencies that will be created before the next General Election.
The figures should also be used to determine CDF and other devolved funds allocations, Mr Oparanya told Parliament this week.
The same data was forwarded to the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission to be used in the delimitation of new boundaries and creation of 80 new constituencies.
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