Census on course, says Matiang'i

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i says the ongoing national census is progressing smoothly, despite the few cases of fraud reported. [File, Standard]

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i says the ongoing national census is progressing smoothly, despite the few cases of fraud reported.

Dr Matiang’i expressed hope that the exercise would end as planned and called for co-operation from all parties.

“If you have not been enumerated, those officials will come. We are happy the exercise is going on well, but those committing fraud will be punished according to the law,” he said.

The CS cited Wajir South Constituency where three chiefs were arrested over census fraud. Matiang’i termed the incidents as isolated and assured the country that the census results would be credible.

Various incidents of irregularities have been recorded in parts of the country, with several people being arrested as the Government seeks to safeguard the credibility of the exercise.

In Nairobi, more than 10 machines used in the enumeration have been stolen or lost.

The Kenya National Bureau Statistics (KNBS) is for the first time conducting a paperless census, and will have intersex persons enumerated. Previously, KNBS only listed people as either male or female.

This year’s exercise, which started on August 24 and is expected to end on August 31, is the sixth one since independence. The previous censuses were held in 1948, 1962, 1969, 1979, 1989, 1999 and 2009. This is also the first census under the 2010 Constitution.

A census helps facilitate the planning of national resources.