UBOS Donates Over 4,000 Census Tablets to Boost Research, Data Collection

By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,

KAMPALA

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has donated more than 4,000 tablets and computers to various institutions to strengthen research, data collection and economic development across the country.

The equipment, which was used during the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, was handed over during a ceremony held at the UBOS headquarters in Kampala.

UBOS Executive Director Dr Chris Mukiza said the donation is aimed at improving administrative data systems and supporting institutions in conducting research and evidence-based planning.

“The tablets we are transferring were used during the 2024 National Population and Housing Census. We are donating them to support research and improve data collection across different institutions,” Mukiza said.

He explained that the move is part of efforts to modernise Uganda’s data systems and reduce costs associated with future censuses. Mukiza noted that countries with advanced administrative data systems rely less on full household enumeration because they already maintain updated population records.

“If every birth, death, marriage and migration is recorded at the grassroots level, the country will only need to conduct sample surveys during census periods to obtain socio-economic indicators. This will reduce the resources spent on visiting every household,” he said.

Mukiza added that the donated gadgets will help institutions contribute to building updated administrative data and also support information systems addressing climate change.

The Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) received the largest share of the equipment, including 3,500 tablets and three computers, although the organisation had requested 5,000 tablets.

IRCU vice chairperson Dr Joseph Sserwada welcomed the donation but said it had come later than expected. He noted that earlier distribution of such equipment could have helped address concerns raised by some groups about discrepancies in census figures.

“This support is timely, although it would have been more helpful if it had come earlier. The equipment will ease our research and data collection work across our member institutions,” Sserwada said.

He said IRCU, which oversees about 26,730 churches, will utilise the gadgets to strengthen research and improve data management among member religious institutions.

Sserwada pledged that the council would ensure proper utilisation of the equipment to support evidence-based decision making.

The Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu Prime Minister, Benson Kule Baritazale, also welcomed the donation and requested UBOS to provide training on how to effectively use the tablets.

“We request UBOS to train our teams on how best to utilise these tablets. We intend to use them to improve data collection in sectors such as agriculture, education and other development programmes in the kingdom,” Baritazale said.

Other beneficiaries of the donation include the Bugisu cultural institution which received 250 tablets, Rwenzururu Kingdom which received 150 tablets, the National Planning Authority (NPA) which received 50 tablets through transfer, and the Chief Executive Officers’ Forum which also received 50 tablets. The Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) and Bunyoro Kingdom also benefited from the donation. In total, UBOS donated 4,050 tablets and six computers to the various institutions.