For decades, Uganda\u2019s national statistics relied heavily on paper-based surveys, manual data entry, and delayed reporting\u2014challenges that often impeded timely policy responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But a quiet revolution is underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The use of digital tools in the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, as well as the ongoing Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS) 2023\/2024, signals a transformative shift not only in results but in how data is collected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spearheaded by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), these changes are modernizing how government understands and responds to development challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the heart of this transformation is Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI), a system that replaces traditional paper questionnaires with handheld tablets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enumerators now conduct face-to-face interviews while entering responses directly into pre-programmed digital forms. The benefits are significant:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This has created a more accurate and agile data ecosystem\u2014one that can better inform decisions on everything from rural healthcare access to urban youth employment strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Nuwaha Ngabwa, an enumerator working on the ongoing aquaculture census, the shift to CAPI is more than just a technical upgrade\u2014it\u2019s a practical evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCAPI has simplified the whole exercise,\u201d she explains. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to input information and correct errors\u2014unlike handwritten forms. The best part? It saves us time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even in remote areas with unreliable internet, the system is flexible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s an option to save your work and resume later. We synchronize the data once we get a stable connection,\u201d says Nuwaha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power outages are also less of a concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUBOS gave us power banks for fieldwork. Some villages don\u2019t have electricity, so once your power bank is charged\u2014maybe at a small salon over the weekend\u2014you\u2019re good for the week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She credits UBOS\u2019s thorough training for her ease with the technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe team did a great job preparing us. We\u2019re well equipped. The world is going digital, and so are we.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n UBOS isn\u2019t stopping at CAPI. The bureau is integrating geo-coded <\/strong>data into its surveys, giving policymakers precise, location-specific insights. This allows planners to visualize disparities\u2014for example, pinpointing underserved water sources in Karamoja or mapping school enrollment gaps in informal settlements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other innovations include: PS mapping, Digital dashboards, Spatial analysis tools<\/p>\n\n\n\n These tools are already being used by the Ministry of Finance and local governments, enhancing real-time visibility into Uganda\u2019s development landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The UNHS 2023\/24 achieved an impressive 92% response rate, thanks to digital tools, geo-targeting, and rigorous training. The survey covered 17,350 households across 1,735 enumeration areas, including refugee and host communities in Kampala, the North, and the West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n UBOS leaders reaffirmed the institution\u2019s dedication to data quality, transparency, and relevance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStatistics are a public good,\u201d said Dr. Albert Byamugisha, Chairperson of the UBOS Board. \u201cOur role is to ensure they support national frameworks like Vision 2040, Agenda 2063, and the Sustainable Development Goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Chris Mukiza, Executive Director of UBOS, acknowledged the delay in releasing the report due to the 2024 Census but emphasized its readiness to inform:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this new era, data no longer sits idle in archives. It drives decisions, shapes equitable policies, and amplifies the voices of underserved communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Uganda prepares for NDP IV, this digital transformation may well become its most powerful development tool yet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For decades, Uganda\u2019s national statistics relied heavily on paper-based surveys, manual data entry, and delayed reporting\u2014challenges that often impeded timely policy responses. But a quiet revolution is underway. The use of digital tools in the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, as well as the ongoing Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS) 2023\/2024, signals a transformative […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4240","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n