THE population and housing census went on smoothly as it entered its second day with heads of families remaining home waiting for census clerks.
A spot check by ‘Daily News’ in several parts of the city established that some breadwinners from different homesteads had to make do without a day in their offices after they were not counted on Tuesday.
“I had to excuse myself from duty today (Wednesday) because the clerks didn’t show up on the first day, but I’m still optimistic that they’ll visit my house today,” quipped Mr Augustino Mollel, a resident of Sokon II ward in Arumeru District.
It was a similar case for Nembris Kivuyo who runs a local eatery at Moshono area in the city.
Ms Kivuyo confided to this paper that she was compelled to remain at Kwa Mrefu area where she lives, awaiting for the clerks for the better part of the day.
“I eke out a living through selling food, but I’ve been informed that the census enumerators aren’t far from here, I’ll just wait for them with the rest of my family,” chuckled the mother of four.
In an interview with ‘Daily News’ yesterday, the Chairperson of Olkerian village council at Olasiti Ward, Mikson Bernard said the census was going ahead smoothly.
He said that they were tagging along the census enumerators to assist household answer accurately to all details sought in the exercise.
“So far so good, we’ve not had any hiccups and we are happy to see households complying with the exercise,” he said.
Mr Bernard, however, admitted that some heads of some households were failing to decipher the queries put forth by the clerks.
“At times this proves to be difficult for the census clerks, and that’s why we are here to assist,” he assured.
At Akheri Ward, located on Mt Meru’s foothills, the excitement was evident as heads of homesteads offered their information to the clerks.
Arnold Patrick, a clerk overseeing 10 homesteads at Mawinuni Street in Arumeru District confided to this paper that the exercise was going according to the plan with heads of household volunteering to offer right information about their families.
“They seem to be aware about the exercise if the cooperation accorded to us is anything to go by,” said the clerk.
Mr Patrick discloses that he was nervous as he began counting people on Tuesday morning, knowing that he wouldn’t be offered the prerequisite cooperation from heads of households.
This, according to the clerk has made his work a lot easier as he continues sweeping through houses at Mawinuni Street.
Ms Wiyande Mushi a resident at Mawinuni Street rallied fellow neighbours to accord the clerks necessary cooperation in executing the statistical operation.
At Kimnyaki Ward in the city’s outskirts Jane Philemon couldn’t hide her excitement on how the exercise was being conducted.
“It has taken us so little time to offer the clerks with information contrary to earlier reports that this will be a long and winding process,” she said.
It was a similar feeling for Sefania Martin, a resident of Ekenywa Street in Olturumet Ward who opined that exercise was being conducted with utmost professionalism by the clerks and village officials accompanying the census enumerators to the homesteads.
“It is worth noting seeing how well organized they are and how they conduct themselves before family members,” he added.