Four arrested in Pallisa for defying national census

By Lawrence Okwakol

Four church leaders of the renown Kanyiiriri sect in Pallisa district have been arrested following a directive from the Pallisa resident district commissioner (RDC), Magidu Dhikusoka, after they defied the national census in the sub counties of Kamuge and Putiputi.

Dhikusoka said that the gentlemen from Mpogi village in Putiputi sub county repulsed the enumerators who had gone to their households for the census.

“The government has injected a lot of resources into this exercise for the benefit of all the people, and it was wrong for some people to resist being part of the exercise, which even President Museveni personally sacrificed to advocate for its success,”  Dhikusoka said.

Though the Kanyiiriri believers don’t want to be counted, other people on the islands of Mutiama, Luzira, Gabba, and Kamtabana have pleaded to be counted.

Sam Wakiku, a resident of Mutiama, when contacted on the phone, said that if Pallisa has disowned them, they will invite the authorities in the neighboring Buyende district to consider counting them.

Wakiku said that they have been denied most government programs, yet they are also Ugandans.

“We wanted to be counted so that the government would consider constructing for us a school, a health center, and motorboats to make us access the mainland for other services,” Wakiku said.

Wakiku’s lamentation touched the Gogonyo County Member of Parliament, Derrick Orone, who blamed UBOS for failing to consider the fate of people on these islands.

Orone said that he shared with the RDC, who also disclosed that the issue was raised in the district census meeting presided over by Fredrick Byekwaso, the chief administrative officer.

Priscilla Akello, the Pallisa district communication officer, said Julius Mpagi, the UBOS resident commissioner, channeled the concerns to the head office, but there was no feedback on such concerns.

“The issue is very sensitive because all citizens within the boundaries of Uganda are going to be counted. I only request people to cooperate with the enumerators and  not give exaggerated  information,” Akello said.

However, David Ochwa, the Agule county member of parliament, asked Robert Mukesi, the district census officer, to avail enumerators in the belt of Agule, Akisim, and part of Oboliso subcounty with Airtel SIM cards.

Ochwa said restarting the gadgets and refreshing all the time will dull the exercise.

Yapesi Onoria, the LC1 of Komolo village in Akisim subcounty, said on the first day, due to a technical issue, by noon, only two households were captured by the enumerator.

Mpagi, the UBOS commissioner, said identification materials such as aprons, tags, and missing T-shirts would be delivered soon.

“Identification of field workers is very important, and UBOS is responding to it. We are happy over the patriotism exhibited by enumerators to accept stating work without those items,”  Mpagi said.