Nairobi — The country’s top leaders were among the first to be enumerated as the census exercise got underway countrywide amid tight security.
State House said President Uhuru Kenyatta and members of his immediate family were among the first to be listed in the exercise that kicked off at 5pm Saturday.
President Kenyatta was enumerated with First Lady Margaret Kenyatta, their children and were joined by former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta and several of the family members who were at their Nairobi home.
In a brief address after the enumeration exercise, the President reiterated his earlier call to Kenyans to participate in the national exercise so as to provide the government with appropriate data for purposes of planning national development programs.
“Mine is to say that I have formally gone through the process. We’ve completed that exercise with my family,” the President said.
“Once again I reiterate that this is an exercise that’s is geared towards helping us plan for your future. It is an exercise that is geared towards better utilization of your taxes to ensure that they get to the people. You cannot plan if you do not have the right statistics,” he added.
Present during the exercise was Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani who said the exercise had taken off smoothly across the country.
“The exercise has taken off in every in every part, every enumeration area of this country and so far we are registering good progress. We have not had any major hitches anywhere,” the CS Yatani told the President.
Others present were the Principal Secretary for National Planning Torome Saitoti, Treasury Chief Administrative Secretary Hon Nelson Gaichuhie, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Board Chairman Peter Kiguta and Nairobi Regional Coordinator Wilson Njega.
Deputy President William Ruto was also listed alongside his immediate family members at his Karen home in Nairobi, according to his Spokesman David Mugonyi.
Former President Mwai Kibaki was also enumerated shortly before 7pm, his Spokesman Ngari Gituku told Capital FM News.
In Kabarak, former President Daniel Moi was enumerated in the company of his family members-including heir apparent Senator Gideon Moi, in an exercise led by Nakuru County Commissioner Erastus Mbui.
Moi said he was happy to participate in the count and called on Kenyans to participate fully in the exercise, which he said was pivotal in aiding government to plan and make key policy decisions in allocating resources to spur growth in all spheres.
