This is How to Answer the Census Tribe Question, Dennis Itumbi

Photo: Enumerator collecting information during census/courtesy

The question of one’s tribe in the forthcoming census process has caused an uproar among Kenyans with some questioning how the government was intending to use the information.

Forced to intervene, Ex-State House employee, Denis Itumbi, claims that the tribe question to be filled is not compulsory to anyone as for those not ready to reveal the detail, can easily state ‘Kenyan’.

Denis Itumbi.PHOTO/COURTESY

Posting on his Twitter page,  Itumbi claimed that it is one’s choice to state their ethnicity and hence with those who have no problem with doing so should simply state it.

“On Census, there is a question of the tribe. You can answer with your tribe Or simply say Kenyan. Your choice,” read Itumbi’s tweet on Saturday.

Itumbi’s statement has come to a short while after Exiled Lawyer Miguna Miguna challenged the government’s plan to collect the information on people ethnic composition.

According to Miguna,  the information on one’s tribe is not of any use to the country. He further accused the government of intending to use the information for the purpose of manipulating the electoral boundaries in favour of their political parties in the 2022 general election.

“Collecting information about one’s TRIBE has no material benefit to the person or to Kenya. It is meant for POLITICAL GERRYMANDERING,” Miguna stated.

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), maintains that the data on people’s ethnic composition will be used to assess the socio-economic characteristics of people of different backgrounds and in the identification of minority groups.

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