Kampala, Uganda – The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has conceded to errors in its recently released provisional census results, sparking widespread public debate.
The mistakes, attributed to human error, affected tribal population numbers, with some communities showing unexpected declines.
UBOS Executive Director, Chris Mukiza, addressed the issue to members of the press yesterday, explaining that a simple transposition mistake swapped the population figures of the Bakiga and Bagisu tribes.
“The population of the Bakiga was swapped with that of the Bagisu, and it is a human error. I am convinced we did a very good job,” said Mukiza
“The only problem was at the final reporting stage, and nobody saw it. The population of the Bakiga was swapped, and that was all. That doesn’t dent the credibility of the census report. We need to style up as a country.” he added
The provisional results had revealed surprising decreases in the populations of the Bagisu and Acholi tribes. The Bagisu numbers dropped to 2,096,149 in 2024 from 2,390,975 in 2014, while the Acholi population decreased to 1,941,913 from 2,131,443.
However, Dr. Mukiza clarified that the error was isolated to the data processing stage and didn’t affect the overall accuracy of the entire census results.
Mukiza reassured that the error was confined to tribal numbers and did not affect religious demographics.
Despite calls for his resignation, Mukiza remains confident in his position, highlighting his expertise as one of Uganda’s top statisticians. “I am one of the best statisticians, by the way, and if you want to find a better one, I wish you good luck.” he said
The UBOS has pledged to release the final census report in December, providing more comprehensive data.
Meanwhile, UBOS Deputy Executive Director Vincent Fred Ssenono clarified that the population of almost all major tribes in Uganda showed a notable increase from the 2014 figures, providing insight into the country’s demographic shifts.
“There was a 2.4% growth rate for the Baganda, Banyankore, Basoga, Bateso, and Bakiga. All indicators show growth in almost all tribes in a similar way.” Vincent emphasized
Despite the controversy, UBOS officials reassured that the error was an isolated incident with minimal impact, emphasizing that owning up to and addressing the mistake demonstrates their commitment to transparency and data accuracy.
