Our officers are not criminals - KNBS
A crowd near Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) offices at Herufi House in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- According to the KNBS, the officers, two men and one woman, were visiting homes in the Charani Court "Cluster" in Highridge, Westlands, accompanied by a village elder and a chief when one of the respondents raised the alarm.
- The KNBS said the household budget survey started in September last year and is expected to end in August this year.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has sought to clarify reports circulating on social media that its officers collecting data from various households are “criminals”.
The move comes after three of the bureau's officers involved in a preparatory exercise for the ongoing Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS) were mistaken for criminals at a Nairobi homestead.
According to the KNBS, the officers, two men and one woman, were visiting homes in the Charani Court "Cluster" in Highridge, Westlands, accompanied by a village elder and a chief when one of the respondents raised the alarm.
The team had gone to prepare a list of households ahead of interviews during the survey, as well as to conduct publicity and advocacy campaigns, when they were confronted by the homeowner.
“The exercise was temporarily interrupted by one household respondent who was not certain of the identity of the KNBS officers.
LEGITIMATE KNBS STAFF
“The respondent proceeded to call the police and requested for identification badges of our personnel,” said the bureau in a press release published in local dailies on Thursday.
The team then showed its introduction letter and the issue was sorted out in the presence of the police and the team proceeded with its work.
But the KNBS noted that though the misunderstanding had been resolved, photographs of the three officers and those of the official introduction letter are being circulated on social media sites Facebook and WhatsApp under "Crime Alert Kenya".
“We wish to inform the public that KNBS officers whose pictures are in circulation are not criminals but legitimate KNBS staff,” said the bureau.
The KNBS said the household budget survey started in September last year and is expected to end in August this year.
However, only selected households will be visited and the survey is meant to capture information on standards of living, education levels and employment, among others.
This data will then assist in planning and policy making at the national and county levels, said the KNBS.
