The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has confirmed that 4.3% of Ugandans were not counted in the 2024 national population census. According to the bureau, those left out included individuals who were abroad and those at work during the data collection period.
The uncounted Ugandans, unpaid enumerators among others were some of the challenges UBOS encountered during the census despite insisting that the exercise was largely successful.
The bureau’s Director of Methodology and Statistical Coordination Services, James Muwonge, says that most complaints they recieved were about the release of results rather than the data collection process.
Speaking during a visit by the Leader of Opposition (LOP) Joel Ssenyonyi and a delegation of Members of Parliament (MPs) to UBOS headquarters, Muwonge addressed concerns over errors in the census results.
Ssenyonyi expressed frustration over repeated delays in meetings with UBOS officials and raised concerns about unpaid enumerators, population discrepancies, and alleged data inaccuracies.
In response, Muwonge, speaking on behalf of UBOS Executive Director Chris Mukiza, admitted that some mistakes were made in the initial release of census results. However, he assured that corrections had been made and ongoing issues, including payments for census workers, were being addressed.
Muwonge further explained that the 4.3% of the population that was not counted is too small to significantly impact government planning. However, some MPs questioned whether political interference played a role in the reported population figures, arguing that the numbers did not meet expectations.
In response, Muwonge dismissed allegations of political influence, maintaining that the census was conducted professionally. Despite this, some MPs vowed to introduce a motion in Parliament to establish a committee to investigate the exercise, citing flaws and public distrust in the published results.
The final census results indicate that Uganda’s population stands at 45.9 million.