Preps for national census in high gear

District enumerators trained by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) to conduct the national census set for next Wednesday have kicked off a door-to-door identification of the actual heads or persons in each household. The enumerators are optimistic that the exercise will be smooth after a series of “fruitful” training workshops were held in preparation of the much awaited activity.One of the enumerators, Alfred Nteziyaremye, who is also a teacher at Kirambo Primary School in Gakenke District, said he would do his best to obtain accurate statistics as he is fully aware that the census is intended to provide vital information that is critical to national development.“I have resolved wherever I go to undertake task devotedly and remind people about the importance of the census by urging them to cooperate in the interest of effective national planning for sustainable development,” he said. Nteziyaremye is one of the 25,000 enumerators who mostly comprise primary school teachers selected from various schools countrywide.The coordinator of the census in the Northern Province, Francois Sekamondo, Wednesday told The New Times that the exact number of those who will operate in the region is yet to be established. “There are some last-minute changes likely to be made because of the fluctuating number of households in each district,” he said.The previous census was conducted ten years ago putting Rwanda’s population at 8,128,553. A survey conducted by the NISR last year projected the population at close to 11 million people.