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August census to be paperless as two local universities begin assembly of data-capture kits

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The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics will for the first time conduct an electronic countrywide census next month.

This year’s census will cost KSh18.5 billion.

According to Director General Zachary Mwangi, all is set for the paperless exercise that will be undertaken from August 24 to 25.

While giving an update on the forthcoming national census on Monday, he stated that the computer program to be used has already been designed, developed and tested.

“We’re very confident about our data-capture program,” the KNBS DG stated during the briefing at the Kenyatta International Convention Center in Nairobi.

Moi University and the Jomo Kenya University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) will assemble 164,700 data-capture devices at the cost of Sh15,000 each.

Mwangi revealed that the census will also capture agricultural activities, a component that was not captured in the 2009 census.

“In the previous census we did not collect information on agriculture but this year we have a whole module on agriculture,” he said.

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Milton Nyakundi

Milton Nyakundi is a veteran multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience across broadcast, digital, and print media, who relocated to the United States in 2022 and is now the Senior International Correspondent for Kurunzi News based in Washington, DC, USA. He has previously worked with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), among other high-profile roles with Kenya's first privately-owned media outlet - Kenya Television Network. His experience also include prominent roles as Media Consultant for Football Kenya Federation (FKF), and StarTimes Kenya. His career spans high‑stakes political reporting covering legislative and constitutional issues, elections, governance, and accountability across Kenya, Africa, and global arenas. He also boasts extensive sports journalism experience, covering local and international sports events, including leagues, tournaments and sports governance. He is well-known for his investigative depth, editorial leadership, and evidence-driven journalism that guides his consistent delivery of public‑interest storytelling across platforms.

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