Census 2024: Kitgum LC1 Chairpersons demand pay after four months
He also urged the intervention of the LCV and RDC offices to resolve the matter and ensure that the LCIs receive their due payments.
Kitgum: LCI Chairpersons in Kitgum District have raised concerns over the delayed payments for their role in guiding the 2024 National Population Census in Uganda.
Mr. Obita Dickson, the LCI Chairperson of Lemo Gweng Ajut Village in Ocettoke Parish, Labongo Layamo Subcounty, Kitgum District, stated that he assisted census officials during the 10-day census in his village, which has over 160 households.
However, to date, he and other chairpersons have not received their promised payment of 100,000 shillings.
‘’I assisted census officials during the 10-day census in his village, which has over 160 households, but update: I and other LC1 chairpersons have never received payment.’’
Mr. Obita expressed his frustration with the process, highlighting that no clear communication has been provided regarding the delayed payments, even though the chairpersons used their resources and time to mobilize the community for the census.
He called upon the relevant authorities to expedite the payment process.
In an interview with this publication, Mr. Kibwota Paul Mulya, the Population Census Officer for Kitgum District, confirmed that the payment status remains unresolved.
He added that their attempts to resolve the issue have not yielded results, although they are awaiting communication from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) national team.
‘’Our attempts to resolve the issue have not yielded results, although they are awaiting communication from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) national team.’’
In July this year, Mulya highlighted that around 36 LCIs in Kitgum District had mismatched mobile money numbers with their names on IDs, which affects e-cash payments.
He however assured that with the new fiscal year, the outstanding payments are expected to be processed as arrears and asked for patience from the LCIs.
In July this year, the LC1 Chairpersons in Kitgum district threatened to storm the district headquarters over delayed pay of their allowances for participating in the concluded National Housing and Population Census exercise.
Hon. Oketayot Kenneth Aroo, the Kitgum Matidi Town Council Chairperson, expressed concerns in an interview with this publication regarding the delayed payments of Population Census allowances to Local Council One (LCI) chairpersons.
He revealed that the LCIs in his town council were threatening to storm the district offices for their allowances, although he advised them to wait while he consults with the district planner’s office.
Aroo mentioned that the district planner claims that LCIs have not been paid countrywide, raising questions about the prolonged delay. He noted that enumerators, supervisors, and some service providers have already been compensated.
He expressed doubts about the nationwide payment delays for LCIs and called for engagement with the focal point person to address the issue.
Aroo also urged the intervention of the LCV and RDC offices to resolve the matter and ensure that the LCIs receive their due payments.
Preliminary results from the 2024 Uganda Population Census, released in June 2024, indicated that the country’s population has reached 45,955,046 people, reflecting an increase of 11.3 million from the 2014 census.
Data collection took place from May 10–25, 2024, with census night on May 9. The provisional results are expected to be released on September 24, 2024, with the final report anticipated by December 24, 2024.
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