This archive report was first published on 22 August 2019.
The national census is set to commence on Saturday at 6pm, with enumerators expected to knock on doors anytime between 6pm and 6am Sunday.
However, many Kenyans are expressing concerns over their safety during the exercise, citing fears of crime and insecurity.
Some have taken to social media to express their worries, with many questioning the motive behind conducting the census at night.
“Am I going to stop watching Arsenal’s entertaining game against Liverpool just to wait for census guys to create disturbance in my room asking questions that they could have asked during huduma number shenanigans?” tweeted @GeoffreyNyong
Others have raised concerns over the safety of women, with @Onorpik asking, “How can a grown man or woman be inspired to be home by 8:00? My worry is why the census is taking place at night… usiku ni ya mwizi, mbwa na polisi. How do I open my door to a stranger at night? am I supposed to let them in my house? How safe is it for me as a woman?”
Some have even suggested that the census should be conducted during the day, with @AlexOkwaro saying, “Closure of bars isn’t enough. We need a public holiday declared so that we can be counted properly and safely during the day. The night census poses a lot of security risks and criminals will impersonate census staff to perpetrate crime. Most of us are busy at night with women,”
