UBOS: Only Individuals with Registered Mobile Money Numbers to be Recruited for Uganda’s Population Census

The Uganda National Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has shared details of recruitment of enumerators for the national population census.

This census, scheduled for the night of May 9th leading into May 10th, 2024, and will employ over 120,000 enumerators.

According to Chris Mukiza, the Executive Director of UBOS, the process is entirely digitalized, including payments to enumerators.

As part of the conditions for recruitment, Mukiza , revealed that only individuals with smartphones and mobile money accounts in their own names will be hired as enumerators.

He also stated that only those with mobile money accounts registered under their own names will be paid, not through others.

He also mentioned that the tablets and smartphones used by enumerators must meet certain requirements to handle the census data.

UBOS will collaborate with local governments to recruit enumerators, but the final selection will be done at UBOS headquarters to prevent corruption. Mukiza mentioned that they are finalizing the criteria for enumerator selection.

Each enumerator will be responsible for counting 50 to 80 households.

Preparations for the census are at 90.3 percent completion, with 50 districts having clean data, 58 districts and cities at 90 percent readiness, and 18 districts above 80 percent. The remaining districts, including Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso, require different approaches due to their population structures.

The first batch of tablets for the census is expected to arrive early next month.