Last week, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) together with the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries announced the national livestock census that will be conducted from May 17 to May 24 in all districts in the country.   UBOS also sought to recruit 8,257 enumerators that will take part in the exercise.

The 10-day exercise will cost 11.5 Billion Shillings and will involve door to door visits to all households with Livestock in Uganda.

In Arua, Dr Willy Nguma, the Veterinary Officer Greater Arua, says that within three days they received 1,863 applications from those interested to be enumerators. He however says that they were forced to drop over 1,600 due to lack of LCI letters, National IDs and lack of Senior Six or its equivalent.

Dr Nguma says they were overwhelmed with the turn-up, an indication of high unemployment prevalence and poverty among the people. According to Nguma, they need only 63 enumerators in the district to take part in the exercise. 

 Some of the candidates who turned up for written interviews at the district production department compound says that although the number of applicants is very high, they are hopeful of being among the 63 that are required to take part in the exercise.

The last livestock Census was conducted in 2008 on the National Herd, but this time the Census is expected to establish information on among other key issues, statistical data on local, exotic and crossbreed livestock in the Country.

The main objective of the National Livestock Census is to obtain a count of a country’s livestock and their associated characteristics.