Boycott threats may disrupt census at Coast

With only hours to go, the 2019 census exercise at the Coast on Friday faced threats of a boycott by some enumerators, elderly people and a tiny marginalised minority community.

In Kilifi and Lamu counties, there were fears the exercise would be thrown into disarray after a section of enumerators and elders threatened to boycott the count over what they called unfair trifling pay and unpaid monthly stipends.  

The enumerators are demanding their training allowance and the promised transport and lunch money for the seven days they were in training.

On Thursday, more than 300 enumerators camped at the Kikambala chief’s office where they demanded an audience with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics officers who failed to show up. They accused the officers of mishandling their affairs.

“We went through the seven-day training exercise on empty stomachs and some of us had to walk to and from the training halls. They never gave us what we were to get,” one enumerator said.

Each enumerator was to be paid an Sh1,500 training allowance per day.

They were also to get Sh150 for lunch and another Sh150 for transport each day for the seven days.

An enumerator in Mombasa told the Star they were given only Sh300 lunch and transport money for the entire seven days.

In Lamu, some beneficiaries of the Inua Jamii Cash Transfer Programme for elderly persons pledged that the census would not take place in their households until the government pays their stipends.

Elder Omar Shee said the majority of the elderly people in Lamu have not benefitted from the programme and asked whether some elders were superior to others.

“Ever since cash transfers to the elderly began, many of us here haven’t seen a penny. A few elders get money. We need to know why and that's why we're not going to take part in the census until they pay us for the entire period they haven’t paid. We won’t be counted and they can’t do anything about it,” Shee said.

Each beneficiary of the cash transfer programme gets Sh2,000 monthly, paid once every two months.

In Taita Taveta county, the Waatha minority community pledges to boycott unless it is recognised and given equal opportunities and jobs by the government. 

Community spokesperson Ngonyo Galgalo said they have been ignored by the government and denied opportunities including jobs and bursaries for their children.

"Our members are few and scattered. That's why no leader cares about us. We have little or no political significance. Our people have been dying of hunger every year. They totally depend on relief food that is never enough," he said.

The community is estimated at about 1,000 people, sparsely settled in Birikani, Kizumanzi and Sagalla areas in Voi subcounty.

Other few members are said to be settling in Samburu, Kilibasi, Zungulukani and some parts of Kwale and Kilifi counties.

They speak Luwaatha, a language similar to the Sagalla language.

At the same time, human rights lobby groups clashed over Interior CS Fred Matiang'i's instructions to have bars and pubs closed early on Saturday and Sunday.

Haki na Usawa Social Justice Centre executive director Salim Suleiman opposed the bar closing.

However, Manyatta Youth Entertainment CBO boss Nicholas Songora said Kenyans have to sacrifice for only two days to make the census more accurate.

Suleiman said it is wrong to curtail freedom of movement."We respect this census, but it is wrong to deny people their right of association," Suleiman said.

"Let the enumerators go into the bars and count the people in there," the said.

"We all know how people behave when they are intoxicated. They will not give accurate answers,"Songora said.

He also warned against travelling during this period, saying that amounts to sabotage.

"What is this urgent thing that has made you want to travel away from the Coast region all of a sudden? You want to sabotage the resources meant for the Coast region," Songora asked.

(Edited by V. Graham)