NATIONAL CENSUS OR CIRCUS ?
In a stunning display of bureaucratical acrobatics of amusement, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has orchestrated a symphony of chaos in their handling of the Uganda Population and Housing census of May 2024. Imagine an expo where the Bizontos are in charge, and you'll have a pretty accurate picture of the situation.
Reports of enumerators running amok, waving their incomplete enumeration materials like flags of surrender, have flooded the scene. It's a comedy of public errors, with enumeration materials as elusive as that notorious house mouse. The data collection gadgets seemed to have taken a vow of silence and the stage of drama was lit and set, waiting for the main actor to show up. Chaos did. And this was just a followup of numerous complaints in the recruitment process.
The apologies that followed were as sincere as a used car salesman's promise of a "lightly used" vehicle. Sure, they're sorry, but will Ugandans accept their apologies? The real question here is, can we trust the data that UBOS machines might eventually cook up in their statistical cauldron? It's like asking a toddler to prepare Mbale's Kamaleya delicacy, which they'll try but might end up frustrated.
Meanwhile, Uganda's grand plan for the future, Vision 2040, sits on a shaky foundation. With such enumeration errors at the helm of data collection, it's like trying to navigate a ship with a blindfold and a broken compass. Good luck reaching that "competitive upper middle income status" when you can't even count your citizens accurately.
If Uganda wants to restore any semblance of credibility, they'll need more than just apologies, promises and finger-pointing. I presume that the country even needs a national address about this matter, atleast by the line minister in charge. Transparency, accountability and competence is key. Otherwise, we might as well start planning for Uganda Vision 4040 – because at this rate, we'll never find our way out of this mess if we cannot fix it now.
As Ugandans, we still uphold the fact that it matters to be counted, but most importantly the manner in which the counting is done.
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Jeph Prince Wamboka is politician and aspiring candidate for Member of Parliament for Bulambuli Constituency.
Follow @jephprince1 on all social media platforms
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