This archive report was first published on 24 August 2019.
On August 21, 2019, a census official in Nyamira County missed a pre-census preparation and briefing meeting, sparking a search for him.
According to Nyamira County Commissioner Amos Mariba, the ICT census supervisor was issued with a census tablet and a power bank, which he later used as collateral to buy beer.
Mariba confirmed that the officer was arrested after a frantic search, and he later led police officers to a different club, where the census machines were recovered.
Another census official from Kakamega County was also arrested on August 23, 2019, after he got too drunk and fell into a shallow stream, causing his gadgets to get waterlogged.
Both incidents highlight the challenges of conducting a national census, particularly in rural areas where access to basic amenities is limited.
