Exiled Lawyer Miguna Miguna has opposed government plans to collect information on people ethnic composition in the upcoming census.
Through a tweet, Miguna has claimed that the information on ones tribe is not of any use to the country.
But the controversial lawyer has alleged that the government intends to use the information to manipulate electoral boundaries to favor 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.
Miguna’s allegations contradicts with what the body entitled to carry out census said on the importance of collecting information on ethnic composition. According to them,information on tribe or ethnicity and nationality will be collected due to its statistical and cultural value.
The data will be used to assess the socio-economic characteristics of people of different backgrounds and in the identification of minority groups.
Moreover, the NRM General has accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of planning to use the data collected in the census to manipulate elections results.
Census help countries PLAN how to create jobs and provide basic services such as housing, schools, health services, roads, et cetera, for their residents and citizens. Every INDIVIDUAL needs services. Despot Uhuru conducts census in order to know how and where to steal elections.
— Dr. Miguna Miguna (@MigunaMiguna) August 23, 2019
Miguna has gone ahead to claim that Kenyans in Diaspora should also be counted as they have equal rights as the rest of the citizens.
Kenyans in the Diaspora are Kenyans and have the same rights as any other Kenyans. Consequently, they should be counted. Secondly, collecting information about one’s TRIBE has no material benefit to the person or to Kenya. It is meant for POLITICAL GERRYMANDERING. #UhuruToka pic.twitter.com/I0AEk9ZlXq
— Dr. Miguna Miguna (@MigunaMiguna) August 23, 2019
Miguna allegations come as Kenyans count hours to the official kick off time of the census exercise. It will kick off on Saturday, August 24 at 5pm and end on August 31.
Kenyans will be asked questions regarding their age, sex, ethnicity, nationality, religion, marital status and county of birth.