This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
Kenya's highly anticipated national population census kicked off on August 26, 2019, but the exercise was marred by isolated incidents of chaos and theft.
Official Trades Gadgets for Alcohol ¶
In Nyamira, a census supervisor was arrested for misusing gadgets meant for data capture. Gilbert Maranga, the ICT census supervisor at Kemera, was issued with a census tablet and a power bank but went missing shortly after. He was later found at Princess Pub in Kisii and arrested.
Maranga told police that he had given the gadgets to another pub owner whom he owed money. The gadgets were recovered from the pub manager who had kept them as collateral after Maranga allegedly consumed alcohol on credit.
4 Arrested for Resisting Census ¶
Elsewhere, up to four people were arrested for resisting the ongoing exercise. In Chepalungu, Bomet County, two men were arrested, one of whom nearly attacked an enumerator using a machete at Siongiroi village. The second man was arrested at Kipsuter after locking his door and refusing to be counted.
Another two people were arrested in Nyalenda estate, Kisumu, for refusing to participate in the census. Kisumu County Police Commander Benson Maweu said they arrested a man and a woman after they chased away the census officials and refused to be enumerated.
Thugs Strike in Embu ¶
Residents of Bamako area in Dallas estate of Embu town were left counting losses after thieves gained entry into their compounds and stole household items. The locals said they had left their gates open to facilitate the enumerators' access to their houses only for the thieves to take advantage and gain entry into their compounds.
Embu County Commissioner Abdullahi Galgalo said investigations are ongoing to find the suspects.
