Arua Leaders Urge UBOS to Ensure Credible Baseline Survey Results
The model census, which began on May 14 and will run until June 15, 2025, involves data collection in education, the labor market, and aquaculture. The survey is being conducted through sample studies across Arua City and Arua District.
Leaders in Arua City and District have urged the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) to ensure accurate and credible outcomes from the ongoing baseline survey, which they say is key to driving community growth and development.
The model census, which began on May 14 and will run until June 15, 2025, involves data collection in education, the labor market, and aquaculture. The survey is being conducted through sample studies across Arua City and Arua District.
According to Sam Wadri Nyakua, the Mayor of Arua City, while UBOS is seeking the support of local leaders to mobilize communities, the bureau must, in return, deliver reliable findings that will benefit the local population.
Meanwhile, Swadik Angupale, the Deputy Resident City Commissioner for Arua, emphasized the need for accuracy and called on the UBOS team to remain composed in case of hostility from skeptical respondents.
UBOS operates under the 1998 UBOS Act, which mandates it to collect, analyze, and publish official statistics, as well as oversee the national statistical system. According to Nancy Anyango, the UBOS Public Relations Officer, the ongoing exercise includes a baseline education census, which will kick off with the start of the second term on May 26, targeting learners.
It will also gather household and institutional data on labor movement, employment and unemployment levels, and skill mismatches. Anyango appealed to the public to cooperate and provide accurate information, warning them to be cautious of impostors posing as UBOS officials.
Joseph Chikamike, the Principal Fisheries Officer for Arua City, said data on aquaculture will be instrumental in helping the government map out the total area under aquaculture, the number of active farms, water sources, and critical input needs for effective planning.
UBOS says the findings from the survey will support key ministries, including Education, Gender, Labour and Social Development, and Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, in aligning with the goals of the National Development Plan IV (NDP IV).
