Makueni bars to be closed during census, says official

Makueni county commissioner Mohammed Maalim has announced that no bar will be allowed to operate at night during the upcoming census.

Speaking on Saturday at Kasikeu during the installation of a new chief of Muani location and a new assistant chief of Sultan Hamud sublocation, Maalim said the move is aimed at ensuring no one is left uncounted.

“Getting information from drunk people is not easy and so, the government will ensure all bars are closed early for people to have time to get back to their houses and be counted. We want to ensure the count is accurate and verifiable,” Maalim said.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics has already employed 2,756 enumerators, 470 content supervisors and 50 Information Communication and Technology experts who will run the exercise in Makueni.

Maalim confirmed that they had already received the gadgets for the exercise and urged residents to cooperate with the enumerators for the exercise to be a success.

“I am asking the citizens to ensure they cooperate knowing that this exercise is not to be politicised, the law is very clear If caught cheating you will be taken in for trial. We want to get the actual figures of Kenyans,” he said.

The exercise, which is set to cost Kenyans Sh18 billion, will be of its kind in Africa, incorporating collection of data of males, females and on intersex people which was not the case in 2009.

Meanwhile, the commissioner said more than 230,000 people in the county are starving.  He said they had already mapped out the regions that need to be prioritised on relief food this month.

“The county steering committee has gone round and confirmed the situation is pathetic. In most of the regions, rains received were low with farmers having gotten less than 3 per cent harvest. We have started receiving food for July.”

The most affected areas include Masongeleni, Nguu, Kalanzoni, Kiteta, Makueni and Kathozweni among others. In each subcounty, the government will distribute 600 bags of maize, 200 bags of beans, 50 bags of rice and 80 cartons of cooking oil. Schools will also be targeted to ensure no dropouts. 

Edited by R.Wamochie