This archive report was first published on 10 September 2019.
Kenya's Cabinet Gains Power to Alter Census Data ¶
Published on September 10, 2019, the amended law allows the Cabinet Secretary for Planning to vary or cancel official data, including census results, economic growth data, and inflation numbers.
The change, signed by President Kenyatta on August 14, 2019, has sparked debate in Kenya, where population data influences the creation of political constituencies and allocation of national resources.
According to the Statistics (Amendment) Act, 2019, the Cabinet Secretary may cancel, revise, or adjust official statistical data after ascertaining that it is not accurate.
"Upon request by the Board, the Cabinet Secretary may with the approval of the Cabinet, cause any official statistical data collected, analysed and disseminated by the bureau to be cancelled, revised or adjusted after ascertaining that the data is not accurate," the law states.
The KNBS has moved to assuage fears, stating that the amendment does not affect the census numbers and that the bureau has methods to ascertain data accuracy.
The law change aims to solve the legal lacuna that made it difficult for the State to cancel the 2009 population census results from certain zones in northern Kenya.
