This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
On August 28, 2019, seven members of the Kabonokia sect were arrested in Tharaka Nithi for refusing to cooperate with census officials.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) stated that the seven individuals, including family members, were arrested at Gatue Location after they told enumerators that the census process was 'satanic because we will be counted in heaven.'
Similar incidents occurred in Kitui, where two locals who were members of the sect were arrested for declining to cooperate with enumerators, citing the Bible as their reason.
The Statistics (Amendment) Act of 2019, signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta in July, prescribes a penalty of Sh500,000 for any person who obstructs census officials.
Despite the smooth execution of the census exercise across the country, there have been pockets of incidents requiring police intervention.
For instance, two chiefs and one assistant chief were arrested and charged for aiding the manipulation of census data in the ongoing exercise.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the involvement of enumerators in the area.
Additionally, over 200 census enumerators and supervisors in Kilifi County downed tools on Tuesday due to delayed allowances and the need to purchase materials, including chalks, using their own money.
