The Executive Director and Chief Statistician of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, Chris Mukiza, has praised President Museveni for what he described as creating a conducive environment for quality data production and statistical independence in Uganda.
Dr Mukiza said the President’s leadership had strengthened statistical independence and enabled smooth operations through adequate government funding and timely support for national statistical activities.
He noted that over the years, UBOS has built stronger statistical infrastructure and improved its human resource capacity to enhance data collection and analysis.
Mukiza cited the recently concluded National Population and Housing Census 2024, saying it was funded up to 98 percent by the Government of Uganda, with only 2 percent coming from development partners.
He made the remarks while addressing a delegation from the Central Statistics Office of Eswatini Kingdom, which has been in Uganda for a week-long benchmarking visit ahead of its own National Population and Housing Census scheduled for 2027.
Dr Mukiza advised the visiting delegation to establish clear census structures to support comprehensive enumeration and ensure that every citizen is counted.
He explained that in Uganda, the apex census structure is the National Census Council, chaired by the Prime Minister.
The UBOS chief also highlighted Uganda’s tourism potential, pointing to attractions such as mountain gorillas, waterfalls, national parks, and volcanic mountains.
The Eswatini delegation, led by Dlamini Marilyn Phumlile, thanked UBOS for sharing technical expertise and best practices during the benchmarking exercise.
Phumlile said Uganda’s preparations for Census 2024 demonstrated strong planning, including the use of a situation room for 24-hour monitoring of data collection.
She also commended innovations such as digital dashboards, e-recruitment, e-payment systems, and improved census management tools.
UBOS expressed confidence that the delegation had gained valuable knowledge to support successful implementation of Eswatini’s 2027 census.