Prime
At least 22 million counted so far in national census
National Population and Housing Census Clerk, Wisdom Eliya writing down the information from Mariam Bakari at her home place in Kunduchi, Dar es Salaam on August 24. PHOTO|ERICKY BONIPHACE
What you need to know:
- Unguja North Region was taking the lead with 49.7 percent of its households reported to have been counted by yesterday.
Dar es Salaam. On going implementation of the census yesterday was on the third day whereas already at least 36.8 percent of the goal has been achieved, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The 2022 National Population and Housing Census (PHC) kicked off on Tuesday, August 23.
“Going by our analysis, census clerks have reached people by an average of 36.8 percent in all 36 regions,” statistician general Albina Chuwa said in a press release yesterday.
She said Unguja North Region was taking the lead with 49.7 percent of its households reported to have been counted by yesterday.
Dr Chuwa went further to expound that until Thursday, which was the third day in the seven-day exercise, at least 22 million people had been enumerated countrywide.
Out of which, she explained, women accounted for 51.9 percent, with the remaining share going to men.
“The 22 million people who were counted represent 5.1 million households,” elaborated Dr Chuwa.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa directed regional commissioners to cooperate with the Census Committee in ensuring that all households are reached and people get counted.
In a bid to expedite the census exercise, Mr Majaliwa directed all RCs to strengthen communication units in their areas of jurisdiction so that they could address the arising hitches that were impeding clerks in executing their duties.
A spot-check by The Citizen since the start of the census exercise noted that the challenges facing enumerators included large size of some households, hence, forcing them to spend too much time; tablets batteries dying out due to lack of power banks; some citizens not being around in their homes; delayed allowances; and ill preparations by some citizens.
It was on that background that the Premier issued the directive to RCs yesterday here in the city during their virtual meeting. “When it clocks 8pm, I want every region to have the census statistics at hand for the given day,” directed the Premier. “This will help us to identify challenges and immediately find solutions to ease work on the following day.”
He also ordered district and regional census committees to follow up closely the ongoing exercise so that at the end of each day they would be in the position to compile a comprehensive report. “This will give confidence to enumerators because they will be aware that their work is being monitored closely on the daily basis,” he asserted.
The PM also directed RCs to contain the ongoing social media misinformation that was sending a negative picture about the census.
“It is high time the ICT personnel did their work. People should stop disseminating photos of people wearing reflectors and wrongly terming them as census enumerators,” said Mr Majaliwa.
