Nairobi, 22 August, 2019 / 11:06 pm (ACI Africa).
The 2019 Kenya population and housing census slated to take place in a couple of days has elicited mixed reactions, some terming it a case of misplaced priorities by the national government.
“The mood among Kenyans is not receptive due to the current economic hardship,” Public policy expert Anthony Weru, a Catholic faithful of Nairobi Archdiocese told ACI Africa Thursday referring to the weeklong national census to be conducted from Saturday, August 24 night.
He explained that many Kenyans view the exercise as politically inspired and linked it the 2022 general elections.
“With the current politics at fever pitch ahead of 2022, there are fears (that) the figures might be distorted to take a predetermined direction,” Mr. Weru said.
He however acknowledged the value of the countrywide exercise saying, “the census is (a) very important process from an economic planning perspective.”
Local media have reported on wide-ranging apathy on the part of Kenyans who have argued that the exercise poses a security risk since it will be conducted at night.
Other Kenyans have raised concerns over their privacy owing to the nature of questions that will be asked, some debating whether or not to take part in the exercise.
The government has warned that those who will miss the exercise risk a one-year jail term or a fine of 500,000 Kenya shillings ($5,000.00), a move that Kenyans have qualified as intimidation.
On their part, religious leaders are in full support of the census exercise.
“I endorse this message,” reads the poster featuring the leaders in an advertisement by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), which appeared in the local dailies in Kenya.
The religious leaders are pictured endorsing the exercise with the statement : “Count Me In”.
The leaders include the Archbishop of Nairobi John Cardinal Njue, the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims (SUPKEM) Dr. Yusuf Nzibo, the Secretary General of the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) Canon Peter Karanja, and the National Chairman of the Hindu Council of Kenya Kamal Gupta.
The last official population and housing censors in Kenya was conducted in 2009, putting the Kenyan population at 38.6million.
