All you need to know about Saturday's Census

From Saturday, August 24, the process of counting all persons within the borders of Kenya will begin.

The national census will take a week, ending on August 31.

Outdoor sleepers, persons on transit, individuals in hotels and lodges, and institutions such as hospitals and prisons will all be counted.

Already some counties have said they will close businesses including bars to ensure all people within their areas are counted.

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua on Monday ordered a temporary closure of businesses in the county between August 24, 25 to enable accurate data collection during the national census.

In a statement issued on Monday, the governor said the move is aimed at facilitating accurate data collection for easy development funding.

All those on duty on Saturday evening such as nurses, doctors, watchmen will be counted with the household even though they will absent.

The national census is carried out every 10 years to primarily determine population, which guides planners on resource allocation.

Kenya's population was reported as 38.6 million during the 2009 census, compared to 28.7 million inhabitants in 1999, 21.4 million in 1989, and 15.3 million in 1979.

In this year's census for the first time, all the data required will be captured electronically through a tablet computer. 

About 170,000 enumerators and supervisors have been recruited to work in this year’s Housing and Population Census.

Enumerators will ask questions in a roughly 30 minutes interview depending on the household size.

 The questions will then be loaded on to the gadget and the whole enumeration process will, therefore, be paperless.

This guarantees that the data will be captured faster than has been the case during previous censuses. It also ensures that the data will be more secure and collected faster.

 Kenyans will be asked questions regarding their age, sex, ethnicity, nationality, religion, marital status and county of birth.

Speaking last month at a media briefing, KNBS director-general Zachary Mwangi said they are working round the clock to ensure preparations for the census are completed within the agreed timelines and meet the internationally recognised thresholds.

Below are excerpts to shed light on what Kenyans need to know about Census

What are the uses of census data?

The Census provides comprehensive and disaggregated information. The data when analysed gives an accurate picture of how many people are living in the country, the distribution across every administrative level and their living conditions, as well as access to basic services. Other uses include resource allocation, delineation of boundaries, research and creation of household-based frames for future surveys.

Who will be enumerated?

All persons within the borders of Kenya during the reference night including outdoor sleepers, persons on transit, individuals in hotels and lodges, and institutions such as hospitals and prisons.

Kenyans in the diaspora will not be enumerated. However, people will be asked some questions about members who have migrated to other countries since2004.

All previous censuses conducted in Kenya have collected data on ethnicity, reflecting a long-standing and continuing widespread demand for information about ethnocultural characteristics of the Kenyan population.

Those who do not wish to state their ethnicity have an option of stating that their ethnicity is Kenyan.

What will show that a household has been enumerated?

After enumeration, the officials will write a number on the door or at any visible place on the structure to indicate that enumeration has been conducted. PLEASE DO NOT ERASE THE NUMBER. If there is no structure, a structure numbering card will be issued to the household after enumeration.

What happens if one is not counted on the night of 24th/25th August 2019?

The Census officials will proceed with enumeration for seven (7) days till 31st August 2019. All information will be provided in reference to the night of 24/25th August 2019.

If I have visitors on the night of August 24/25 2019, will they be enumerated as part of my household?

Yes. Anyone who will be present in your household on the night of 24th/25th August 2019 will be enumerated together with your household.

Where will the people on night duty be enumerated?

All those on duty on the night of 24/25 August 2019 such as doctors, nurses and watchmen will be enumerated with the household.

How will the Census data be captured?

For the first time, the census data will be captured electronically through a mobile device (tablet). The questions have been uploaded on the tablet which has in-built checks to ensure data quality.

What are the key questions that will be asked during the census enumeration?

The key questions that will be asked include: age, sex,marital status, births, deaths, migration, forms and severity of difficulties in performing daily life activities,educational attainment, labour force particulars,access and ownership of ICT equipment and services,crop farming, livestock and aquaculture, housing characteristics, and ownership of assets.

Will data on ethnic composition be collected?

Yes, information on tribe or ethnicity and nationality will be collected due to its statistical and cultural value. The data is used to assess the socio-economic characteristics of people of different backgrounds and in the identification of minority groups.

Whom do I contact in case my household is not covered?

All those who not will have been enumerated by August 31, 2019, should report to the local administrative office.

However, care must be taken to ensure that you have indeed not been enumerated.

What are the security arrangements?

The security agencies are fully involved and are part of the national and county census committees. Enumerators will have official identity cards and reflector jackets for ease of identification.

They have been recruited from where they live and are, therefore, known to the locals. Enumerators will also be accompanied by village elders, leaders of residence associations and in certain cases, assistant chefs who are well known by the heads of households.

What safeguards have been put in place against data manipulation?

Quality assurance measures are in place to ensure complete and accurate information is collected.

This includes; continuous monitoring of collected information through the dashboard and the use of comprehensive inbuilt checks.

Additionally, an independent team of experts in census-taking is expected to monitor the exercise nationally. Structures are also in place to ensure the secure transmission of data.

When will the results be released?

It is expected that preliminary results will be released three months after the end of the exercise. The basic reports of the census are expected to be released within six months, while the detailed analytical reports will be released within one year after the census enumeration.