Fears 32 Lamwo villages could miss census

At least 32 villages of Palabek Ogili subcounty in Lamwo District are already feeling left out on being counted during the ongoing national census after Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) allegedly failed to list their landmark.

According to Lamwo Resident District Commissioner Geoffrey Osborn Oceng, the 32 villages do not reflect on the Ubos list.

"We are aware that there are 32 villages in Palabek Ogili in the refugees settlement that were not captured by Ubos and we are not certain that they (the people) will be counted," Mr Oceng said.

The RDC says they have contacted the Uganda Bureau of Statistics on this anomaly but they are yet to receive a response.

The national census takes 10 days and Ubos has said those who miss the first day will have opportunities on other days.

However, this information does not correspond with a situation where a village, let alone a whopping 32, is not captured in the biometric system as alleged by Lamwo leadership.

The Nile Post has contacted Ubos about the alleged anomaly.

Meanwhile, as the census exercise started this morning, the enumerators in the subcounties of Palabek Ogili and Madiopei had to return the tablets to the district headquarters to be refigured because the machines failed to work.

There was no immediate explanation for the anomaly but the media, including social media, has been awash with news of similar hiccups, with reports of lack of internet data also cited.