This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
Protests erupted in various parts of Kenya, including Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kiambu Counties, as locals expressed concerns over the hiring of census enumerators from other areas.
On Wednesday, tensions rose in Kangemi, where residents vowed to stop the training of enumerators before police intervened, using teargas to quell the situation.
"We are not leaving here until we're registered. We will not allow outsiders to carry out the exercise in our area," a local resident, Jackson Khaemba, shouted during the protest.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Director General, Zachary Mwangi, responded to the concerns, stating that the shortlisting process was transparent and conducted through a county census committee.
According to Mwangi, the committees included local leaders to ensure that only residents had the opportunity to participate in the census, set to take place from August 24 to 25.
With over 800,000 applications received for approximately 165,000 available positions, the bureau had to leave out many qualified candidates, Mwangi explained.
The government has allocated Sh18.5 billion for the census exercise, which is conducted every 10 years. The last census was held in 2009, and the outcome will be announced after three months.
For the first time, the KNBS will use digital gadgets to capture data, enhancing the processing and safety of the information collected.
