All security agents among them police officers and administrators on leave have been recalled back to work ahead of the next week national exercise.
The decision to have them resume duties forthwith was made during yesterday’s inter-ministerial meeting held at Harambee House chaired by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.
Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho who deputises the National Government Administration (NGAO) meetings was tasked to order the security and national administration officers back to their stations of work.
“The decision has been made during an inter-ministerial meeting convened to assess the level of preparedness ahead of the national enumeration exercise. This is aimed at ensuring smooth census exercise including provision of security across the country.” A source privy with the deliberations revealed.
Effectively, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai will be expected to oversee drafting of operational orders in all the 47 counties to coordinate provision of security during the exercise.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has recruited enlisted 164, 700 youth out of whom 2,700 are ICT supervisors, 27,000 content supervisors and 135,000 enumerators.
KNBS will conduct the exercise from August 24 to 31st August.
The enumerators will be escorted by police officers especially in volatile areas particularly the northern Kenya that has experienced rampant cases of terrorist attacks.
Director General Zachary Mwangi said the national exercise conducted every ten years will cost Sh18.5 billion.
This includes the expenditures for demographics, disability, education, labour force, ICT, Agriculture, housing conditions and amenities as well as household assets.
The census results will provide the government with up-to-date data on the population, in terms of demographic, social and economic characteristics, housing conditions and household amenities.
The data collected through the 2019 census will further provide crucial information that is essential for evidence based development planning, administrative and policy decisions and research and will enable the achievement of the big four agenda.
The Population and Housing Census is conducted after every ten years as provided for by The Constitution of Kenya 2010, the Statistics Act 2006 and the Statistics (Census of Population) Order 2018- Legal Notice No. 205, vide Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 141.