This archive report was first published on 27 August 2019.
Kenya's 2019 census got off to a dramatic start, with reports of arrests, misinformation, and sale of alcohol during census nights emerging just three days into the exercise.
On August 25, 2019, a middle-aged woman, Margret Wanjiru, was charged with selling alcohol during census night in Bahati, Nakuru County, despite an order by Interior CS Fred Matiang'i to the contrary.
According to police reports, a woman in Juja, Kiambu County, was arrested on Monday for refusing to participate in the census and using vulgar language against census officials.
Enumerators in Migingo Island, a disputed territory, were conducting the count despite controversy over the island's ownership.
Five elders in Ndera location, Tana River County, were arrested on Sunday evening for allegedly inciting residents against the census.
Police in Baringo County arrested a chief and an MCA over claims they incited residents of Baringo South to boycott the ongoing national census.
These incidents highlight the challenges faced by Kenya's 2019 census, which aimed to provide an accurate count of the country's population.
