Census: 15 arrested for disrupting exercise

Kampala- The ongoing census has entered its fifth day with incessant rains, cult leaders, border conflicts and secretive societies being some of the hurdles for the exercise.

The exercise seeks to provide the actual number of people in Uganda to provide government avenues through which it can plan for the population in the next 10 years.

A total of 15 people have been arrested in Mbale and Kamwenge district for alleged sabotage.
In Mbale, four people, including, Mr Patrick Bola, the Butenza Sub-county chairperson in Sironko, were arrested over allegations of assaulting an enumerator. Ms Diana Nandawula, the Elgon region police spokesperson, confirmed the arrest, saying the suspects obstructed the enumerators from counting people in the area.

“We arrested them for assaulting enumerators and disrupting the ongoing census exercise. We found them with pangs and axes,” said Ms Nandawula. The suspects, according to Ms Nandawula had also tried grabbed the materials that are being used in the census.

Relatedly, police in Mbale arrested a member of the ‘Triple Six” cult for allegedly refusing to be counted.

The suspect identified as Simon Wakuye, 49, is a resident of Nambiti “B” village in Bungokho Sub-county, Mbale District.

More arrests
In Kamwenge, police arrested 10 people of the Nyangakeibo cult for allegedly refusing to be enumerated.

The suspects were arrested on day-two of the exercise in Kanara Sub-county. They were arrested on the orders of the Kamwenge Resident District Commissioner Elijah Biryabarema who accused them of sabotaging the exercise.

The CID officer Kamwenge Police Post, Mr Ronald Wele, said the suspects will be prosecuted in court.

Ms Monica Rutahanda, an official from Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) who is monitoring the exercise in Kamwenge, said similar challenges had been reported in the sub-counties of Mahyoro, Kabambiro, Kamwenge and Bihanga.

The Nyangakeibo cult preaches against western culture and is opposed to use of mobile phones and sleeping under mosquito nets.
They claim that the promoters of such practices are agents of Satan.

In West Nile, about 1000 households in Narengekeju parish were not counted as the community is contested by both Moroto and Nakapiripirit district.

In Wano village, Moyo Sub-county, the exercise was indefinitely suspended following attacks by South Sudan soldiers on officials. The commissioner for Kajo-Keji County, South Sudan, Mr Henry Kala Sabuni, said he would not allow enumerators in the disputed area until the dispute is resolved by the presidents of Uganda and South Sudan.

Although UPDF maintains a presence on the border area, the 409 Brigade spokesmen 2nd Lt Ibrahim Sekito, said the army did not want to occasion a confrontation.

“We are on ground but for the sake of harmony, those issues can be handled peacefully and are being handled in Kampala,” he said.
The situation was not different in Nyamusingiri in Kabarole District where residents disagreed where to be counted from. The area is contested between Kabarole and Ntoroko districts.

The exercise derailed until the intervention of RDC.
Meanwhile, Mr Matia Kasaija, the Planning state minister, has appealed to Ugandans to embrace the census, dismissing claims that some of the questions are humiliating and cannot assist government in planning.

“We want to plan and deliver effectively for the citizens,” said Mr Kasaija after being counted at his home in Karuguuza Kibale Town.
In Teso, a man cohabiting with a 36-year old woman at Pigire Trading Centre, Serere District survived being arrested after he refused to give some information, accusing the enumerator of being an intruder.

Ms Fina Acam, an enumerator in Pigire Sub-County told the district census officer, Gabriel Otiira and the district chairperson, Joseph Opit that Mr Michael Okwii had locked her out when she asked for some data.

However, Mr Okwii, went into hiding after Ms Acam returned with the district chairman and LC officials.

His [Okwii] companion, Pricilla Apolot said he could not tell them much about the home because he had only stayed for a short time.

7.1 Million counted

The Ubos national census coordinator, Mr Francis Mashate, has said they have so far counted at least a quarter of the population, which translates to about 7.5 million people.

“By now [yesterday] we are not doing badly at all save for some few disturbances in Kampala,” he told Daily Monitor via telephone. “Those who are slowing the exercise [enumerators] will be dismissed because we have at least 300 reserves in Kampala alone to come in just in case there is need to do so.” Mr Mashate also said the weather—rain, has significantly slowed the exercise, especially in urban centres.

Meanwhile, he said at least a quarter of the population has been enumerated, especially in up-country locations, which he said the exercise was going on well.

SOME RULES

Started. The Census started on the night of August 27 and it will proceed till September 6, 2014.
End. The Census exercise will be covered in 10 days from the August 28 to September 6, 2014.
Door-to-door. It will be a door-to-door, activity with household head during day time only.
Results. First results will be published in October 2014
10th census. This is the 10th census to be conducted in Uganda, the 5th after Uganda gained her Independence and the 2nd to be conducted by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

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