Dr. Chris Mukiza the Executive Director at UBOS has shown his happiness with the cooperation the local leaders are showing.
“We are very pleased that the local administrations have embraced this exercise,” Dr. Mukiza said.
“I was with the Lord Mayor of Kampala last time; the next day I was with the Governor (district chairman) of Wakiso, and before that, the Governor of Mukono. They all embraced [the census].”
It’s important to note that Wakiso’s District Chairman, Matia Lwanga Bwanika, and Mukono’s Peter Bakaluba Mukasa are both from the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), while Kampala’s Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago, belongs to the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
Dr. Mukiza, speaking on NBS TV on Monday morning, emphasized the significance of this non-partisan approach.
“This is now a non-political effort,” he said. “I’m pleased to see even opposition members embracing it because they understand its importance.”
This positive attitude follows UBOS’s successful launch of household mapping and listing activities in densely populated districts like Kampala, Wakiso, and Mukono, all led by opposition figures.
On March 14th, 2024, Dr. Mukiza met with Lord Mayor Lukwago, urging him to support the census as a “champion” for the city.
Likewise, during the launch in Wakiso on March 17th, 2024, Dr. Mukiza met with Wakiso’s Matia Lwanga Bwanika (NUP) and sought his assistance in ensuring a smooth census process.
In the past, political considerations have sometimes overshadowed the technical aspects of government programs.
The national census is set to begin on May 9, 2024, and will last for 10 days.
UBOS is confident that the cooperation of local leaders, regardless of their political affiliations, will lead to an accurate and successful census.
