Accuracy in census a must

As the country gears up for the national census towards the end of next month, it is encouraging to hear from the agency concerned that the technology to be used has been tested and found reliable. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics is exuding confidence after a pilot project proved the system’s efficacy. The KNBS says the technology for the collection of data for the 2019 National Housing and Population Census is not just ready, but also efficient.

On the night of August 24/25, the system should enable the efficient collection of information throughout the country. However, past technological hitches, especially during elections, would explain the public scepticism. Biometric machines spectacularly collapsed, forcing the officials to resort to manual verification.

The census is too important a national exercise that calls for adequate preparations and deployment of equipment and personnel to ensure accurate collection of information. Even as the officials beam with confidence over the preparations, it is only prudent that they also think about backup measures.

All the households must be visited and their occupants counted. An accurate count of citizens enables proper planning and allocation of resources. Where numbers are inflated or understated, such information is not useful in the long run as it is difficult to properly allocate resources for the provision of services such as education and healthcare. An accurate count also enables the rational creation of new administrative and electoral units to bring services and representation closer to the people.

The last census produced numbers in some regions that were questioned, leading to calls to revise them. The KNBS has no option but to produce an accurate census this time round.