The statistics bureau of Uganda, legally known as Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) reported that 829 census tablets are still unaccounted for by enumerators. Dr. Chris Mukiza, the UBOS executive director, announced that out of 122,026 tablets distributed, 121,197 (99.3%) have been returned from various districts and cities.
Credit: Nile Post.
Additionally, a significant number of power banks are still missing, with 11,733 yet to be retrieved. A total of 119,418 power banks were distributed, and 107,685 (90.2%) have been recovered.
Mukiza mentioned that some gadgets were genuinely lost, while others were stolen by enumerators. The bureau has offered an alternative for those who lost the devices: paying Shs80,000 for each power bank and Shs750,000 for each tablet lost.
He explained that for lost power banks, enumerators can pay Shs80,000 to a Uganda Revenue Authority account, treating it as a disposal or a public asset. For tablets, the market value has been set at Shs750,000.
Mukiza’s statements were made during a media briefing about post-census 2024 activities at the Statistics House in Kampala. UBOS conducted the census in May, with preliminary results showing a population of 45.9 million people. The exercise cost Shs328.7 billion, with 99% funded by the government and contributions from partners such as UNHCR, UNDP, and UNFPA totaling Shs18.5 billion (1%).