Kenya set for census amid controversy

By ODUOR JAGERO
Published August 21, 2009

Kibera, one of the biggest slums in the world

Amid fears of political manipulation and insecurity, Kenya’s national population census begins next week. A traditional exercise carried out every ten years, the population census – dubbed Kenyan Census 2009 – comes at a time when ethnic tensions and insecurity in major towns and across villages are causing widespread concern.

While the government has upped efforts to allay these fears, not all are convinced. The question on the ‘tribal’ identity of respondents has generated controversy amid fears this could be politically manipulated. Similarly, concerns are being raised about the security risks in carrying out the census at night.

During spot interviews, this EAiF reporter met Ole Sokote, a 15-year-old from Athi River. This young man together with his brother, Olo Sekiel, had come all the way from Athi River to graze their cattle – their only source of survival – on the tall grass behind the Nairobi City’s Rift Valley Railways.

“Mimi siwezi kubali wakuje ndani ya boma yetu, wataiba Ngombe yetu” (I cannot allow them into our compound, they will steal our animals), the young Sokote said of the Census officers while keeping an eye on his 84 herd of cattle.

At a time that kidnappers are having a field day in Kenya, business related killings echoing on daily papers, and large-scale banditry in some parts of the country, people think that the government is not appropriately tackling the security problem before census.

“People will take advantage of this for sure and the government is not telling us what specifically it’s going to do”, says Francis Musyoki, a cobbler at Landi Mawe Estate, in Nairobi. “You see you will know them when you’ve already opened the door”, he adds.

The government says that the remunerators shall be in red uniform. “What does it take someone to have a red T-shirt?” says Ochieng’, a tailor in the heart of Kawangware Estate, one of the most insecure places in Nairobi.

But Anthony Okoyo, an ICT student who mostly lives alone as his brother is often away on job assignments says that cooperating with the government is the best thing to do now.

Anthony Okoyo, an ICT student a Nairobi College

“Off course I will open the door”, he says looking at their reinforced gate. “Moreover we have not had problems with insecurity in our estate. Police officers and private security guards are always keeping vigil”, he adds.

And on the tribal question, the government appears to hear nothing of it. In fact on the government website www.kenyacensus2009.go.ke, census is described as count of everyone residing in Kenya and includes people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, both citizens and non-citizens. This means that the state considers tribe as an integral part of census.

“I don’t see any problem with the question”, Okoyo says, “and to be honest I don’t know its significance”. Okoyo says that if knowing the tribal affiliation is going to help plan for budgeting, economic development and funds allocation, then there should be no problem maintaining the question on the fact sheet.

Ole Sokote and his brother are both unanimous on the ethnic question. They say that they can never talk to the numerators nor can they reveal if they are Kalenjins or Maasai.

“Hiyo ni ujinga”, (That’s stupidity) Sokote said of the tribe question.

According to the government website ethnic origin data paint a picture of Kenya’s cultural diversity and provide insight into the changing in-migration patterns and increasing diversity. The website says that governments, community groups, ethnic and cultural organizations, school boards, hospitals, and researchers use ethnicity data to assess the socio-economic characteristics of people of differing backgrounds.

It further gives an example of Canada where the department of heritage uses information on ethnic origin to administer programs under the Multiculturalism Act.

Francis Musyoki a cobbler at Landi Mawe estate

The expensive undertaking is set to cost the ailing economy Kshs 7.4 billion. The government says that this time round the latest technology will be used to ensure accuracy and faster processing of the data.

“These technologies include the use of special software to automatically read the hand-printed responses on the census form and mapping technology”, reads the website.

Census results, across nations and states, generally help governments, local authorities, business, academics and many other organizations for development planning, administrative policy decisions, and research.

It reflects the requirements of a nation, city, town or village, or a group of people within each area. Ideally the results mean public services are properly planned and funded. But what has happened over the years in Kenya shows that the census results have not helped her 34 million people. Poverty remains rife, in part a result of the inequitable distribution of resources by previous administrations, the census data notwithstanding.

Reach Oduor Jagero at koduor@eafricainfocus.com