Kampala, Uganda – The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Olive Kamya, has announced an investigation into the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) following inconsistencies in the 2024 population census results.
UBOS recently admitted to errors in the census data, particularly regarding population figures by tribe and religion. The discrepancies affected ethnic groups including Bakiga and Bagisu.
“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 UBOS ED Dr. Mukiza
According to IGG Beti Kamya, the investigation aims to unravel how the errors occurred, despite UBOS receiving full funding for the census. IGG’s office will scrutinize fund usage and the methodology employed in the census process.
“We will certainly conduct a thorough audit, not only of the funds received but also of the processes involved. I assure you that when the Inspectorate of Government speaks, it does so with the authority of having conducted proper investigations,” Kamya said, while speaking on the commemoration of International Ombudsman Day yesterday.
Discrepancies in the census report showed that the Bagisu population shrunk by 294,826 (12.3%) from 2,390,975 in 2014 to 2,096,149 in 2024. Similarly, the Acholi population decreased by 189,530 (8.9%) from 2,131,443 to 1,941,913.
This isn’t the first time UBOS has faced investigation. In 2022, the inspectorate compelled UBOS staff to return nearly Shs 1 billion due to misused government funds.
