We may feel obliged to do census but who really counts in Kenya

Yesterday was the last opportunity to be included in this year’s census. Not sure if that matters to most citizens because the majority took part out of a sense of duty, maybe even fear, rather than conviction that this is an important exercise that adds value to their lives or one that will improve service delivery. Yet, censuses have been on record ever since Joseph and Mary had to leave Galilee and join the headcount in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1). Then each had to return to their home district for the count, so at least Kenyans were spared that inconvenience and expense last weekend.

But globally, censuses have been shown to be as much about politics, race and ethnicity as about national planning and values. America for decades had been recording the colour skin of its citizens and when that was deemed politically incorrect Donald Trump attempted unsuccessfully to have a question inserted in next year’s census about nationality. South Africa in the Apartheid years used the regular census as a means to pigeon-hole its citizens into race and colour boxes. Statistics and data revealed should always be used positively but more often than not have been used as a means of control and manipulation of certain sections of society.