This archive report was first published on 25 August 2019.
As the country gears up for the census, a sense of urgency and anxiety has gripped the nation. But is this really necessary? The government has passed legislation to punish individuals for providing false information to enumerators, and entertainment spots have been closed over the weekend to facilitate an easier census process.
However, the census is not just about gathering data for political purposes. It is a crucial tool for planning infrastructure and forecasting demand for essential services like education, health, and security. By being enumerated where we spend most of our days, we can ensure that our needs are accurately reflected in the data.
Unfortunately, politicians have hijacked the census, using it as a means to boost their ethnopolitical numbers. They are threatening urban-dwellers that if they are not counted in their rural constituencies, those areas may cease to exist. This is a clear attempt to create anxiety and drive people to their villages, where they will be counted and then return to the cities, complaining about the lack of planning and resources.
The consequences of this farce are dire. Urban political units will be left with fewer resources and overcrowded facilities, while politicians will reap the benefits of artificially inflated numbers. It is time to end this nonsense and ensure that the census is conducted in a fair and transparent manner.
As Associate Professor of Psychiatry and former Dean of Moi University School of Medicine, I urge the government to advise citizens that a census is not solely a political planning tool. It is a valuable resource for planning infrastructure and forecasting demand for essential services. Let us put an end to this farce and ensure that our needs are accurately reflected in the data.
