The Garissa High Court has nullified the 2019 Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) census results for Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa counties. Justice John Onyiengo’s decision highlights serious flaws in the data collection process, leading to discrepancies in the population figures reported for the three counties. The court has instructed the KNBS to conduct a fresh census in these regions within a year to ensure accurate data for future planning and policy decisions.
The ruling stems from a case filed by Hon. Abdullahi Bashir Sheik and 24 other petitioners who challenged the results, alleging that the census process had failed to maintain basic data integrity standards. They pointed to significant disparities between the actual enumerated populations and the figures published by KNBS, particularly in Mandera County.
A comparative analysis of the population figures showed alarming variances between the actual enumerated populations and the official census results. For instance, Mandera West recorded a population of 318,146 according to the actual enumeration, while KNBS reported just 98,300— a discrepancy of 219,846. Similarly, other regions in Mandera such as Banisa, Mandera South, and Lafey saw comparable discrepancies, with the KNBS figures falling significantly short of the enumerated populations.
The total difference in Mandera County alone amounted to 905,291 individuals, a staggering figure that prompted widespread concern over the accuracy of the data used for vital government planning and allocation of resources.
Justice Onyiengo emphasized that the accuracy of census data is critical, not only for demographic and developmental purposes but also for determining the allocation of resources and political representation. As such, the ruling bars all constitutional bodies, including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), from using the contested 2019 census data for official functions.
The case against KNBS was consolidated from multiple petitions, including one by former Mandera Governor Ali Roba, who also expressed dissatisfaction with the results and called for a review of the data. The court’s ruling ensures that the affected counties will not be subjected to faulty census data for the next census cycle, providing hope for a more accurate and reliable enumeration in the future.
This ruling marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing efforts to improve the integrity of national census data, particularly in marginalized regions of Kenya.
