Census to determine allocation of CDF

By JOHN NJIRAINI

The national census planned for August will be used by the Government to allocate resources, including the Constituency Development Fund.

The exercise will cost taxpayers a hefty Sh7 billion, a figure that appears huge in light of the Government’s widening budget deficit and huge spending commitments.

Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya defended the hefty figure, terming it necessary, despite the myriad problems affecting the country, including famine.

"Questions are being asked if we need the census, but we require it to make informed policy decisions," he said when he launched the National Census Steering Committee (NCSC).

Critical

With 10 million Kenyans facing starvation, critics argue the Sh7 billion is enough to buy three million bags of maize to feed the hungry.

Oparanya, however, defended the exercise saying many policy decisions require a basis of accurate and reliable information on the dynamics of the population.

He said the census would be critical in the allocation of resources like the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).Last year some MPs protested when the Government used the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey to allocate CDF, arguing the survey did not reflect the true picture of poverty in different constituencies.

"Population and housing numbers are very critical to taking important decisions that affect the lives of people in this country," said the Minister.

Treasury has already released Sh1 billion for the exercise. Another Sh3 billion will be provided in the Supplementary budget to be tabled in Parliament in March while the remaining Sh3 billion would be allocated in the 2009/10 budgetary estimates. Based on the theme of "Counting our people for the implementation of Vision 2030", the census, to be carried out on August 24-25, is expected to anchor the economic blueprint.

"We cannot deliver on the vision without knowing how many people we are planning the good life for," said the Minister.

A total of 130,000 personnel will carry out the exercise that will be conducted in three phases and results known in six months.