TELEVISION AND RADIO ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. MWAI KIBAKI, C.G.H., M.P., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA ON THE OCCASION OF 2009 KENYA POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS , AT STATE HOUSE NAIROBI, 23RD AUGUST 2009

Fellow Kenyans,

As you will recall, three weeks ago, I launched a 25-days countdown to the CENSUS. The time has now come for us all to be counted.

Preparations for the census are on schedule. All the districts in the country have now received the CENSUS materials.

The Government, NGOs and Religious Organizations have carried out a comprehensive awareness campaign to make every Kenyan aware of the forthcoming National CENSUS.

If you know anyone who for one reason or the other, may not be aware of this exercise, please inform him or her about it in the next twenty-four hours.

Counting of people takes place on Monday, 24th August at 6.00 p.m. and ends at 10.00 p.m. that night. Those who might not have been reached by that time will be counted the following day 25th August between 6.00 a.m. and 10.00 p.m. Thereafter, counting will take place daily up to 31st August between 6.00 a.m. and 10.00 p.m. This will make sure that every Kenyan is counted.

The most critical day is Monday 24th August which is the CENSUS night. I, therefore, call upon all Kenyans to stay at home on this material day between 6.00 pm and 10.00 p.m., so as to participate fully in this noble exercise. CENSUS is central to the planning and development of our country.

Therefore, I appeal to all Kenyans to observe limited movement and stay in-doors to be counted. I further appeal to our fellow Kenyans from pastoralist communities to make arrangements that will enable them to be counted.

The government through the relevant ministries has put in place strategies to distribute relief food and water to the affected communities, especially along the borders during the census period.

I wish to assure Kenyans that adequate security measures have been put in place for the census officials as well as wananchi. Indeed, Census Enumerators who will be visiting our homes have been recruited from the local neighbourhoods and will in most cases be known to the residents.

Additionally, they will be accompanied by village and community elders as they visit households. They will also be wearing branded T-shirts and will be carrying identification cards.

In order to further assure security and enable enumerators to carry out most of their work within the first day of the Census period, I declare Tuesday, 25th August a public holiday.

Finally, I wish all Kenyans a peaceful census and God’s blessings.

Thank you.