Fifty-seven per cent of the population was counted as at Wednesday morning.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Director General Anthony Kilele said it would meet its mapped target by the closure of the exercise on Monday.

Mr Kilele said the Sh7 billion-exercise would be concluded as planned.

He revealed Eastern and Western provinces were the leading in the numbers counted so far, with 62 per cent enumerated.

In Nairobi, only 55 per cent have been counted.

Supervisor Jerono Kiprop counts Assistant Minister Ramadhan Kajembe (left) at Kwashehe ward, Mombasa, Wednesday. [PHOTO: OMONDI ONYANGO/STANDARD]

City structures

Kilele said the exercise in Nairobi has been hampered by structures in the city.

"We have so far realised the city experiences many change in residences. People have moved in to new structures that were not mapped and have to be enumerated. This has slowed down the exercise," he said.

Coast Province has seen 50 per cent of its residents counted with Rift Valley at 60 per cent.

Nyanza stands at 61 per cent, Central 57 per cent and North Eastern 44 per cent.

The exercise, he added, saw residents of the disputed island of Migingo counted.

Meanwhile, the census has been criticised by the workers.

Central Organization of Trade Unions Secretary General Francis Atwoli hit out at the Government for failing to enumerate a considerable number of Kenyans on the third day.

"Considering a lot of funds were set a side for the exercise, it defeats logic that a sizeable number of Kenyans are yet to be counted," Atwoli said.

He spoke during the launch of the Ministry of Labour 2008-2012 Strategic Plan, yesterday at KICC, Nairobi.

"If ministers and senior senior Government officials are yet to be counted, what about the ordinary mwananchi?" he asked.

At the same time, Labour Minister John Munyes wants the period of the exercise extended in Turkana to ensure the exercise succeeds.

"Insecurity is threatening the exercise and now it is not possible to enumerate citizens in my constituency," Mr Munyes said.

|   |    |   Add Comment |    Comments (0)