Coast leaders dispute census data, cleric urges marriage

Coast leaders have termed the 2019 census results which has put some its counties amongst the least populated areas as “fake and dubious”.

The leaders mostly from Lamu expressed shock saying the results were not a true reflection of the population.

The data released Monday showed three Coast counties -- Lamu (143,920), Taita Taveta (340,671) and Tana River (315,943)-- are among the least populated.

Lamu Senator Anwar Loitiptip and Woman Rep Ruweida Obbo said they expected high population figures as the region had witnessed an influx of people prospecting to benefit from the government's mega project, the Sh2.5 trillion Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) Corridor.

“The census results is not 100 percent accurate. We have several cases of people who were not counted in various areas of Lamu including Wetemere, Juhudi, Salama, Basuba, Barani, Lamu East, Dide Waride, and Kiunga. I expected around 320,000 people. I appeal to the government to ensure more accurate and credible methodology is used during census,” said Mr Loitiptip.

Ms Obbo said: “Many of our people in Lamu moved out of the region to seek employment in Malindi, Mombasa and Nairobi. These people could not be counted as Lamu people during census. I therefore appeal to the government not to take the low population as gospel truth. The population of Lamu is big and we need justice in terms of resources being allocated to counties.”

DEVELOPMENT

The leaders and analysts worry that the census result could lead to the region lagging behind in development given that population has the heaviest weighting in revenue allocation to counties.

“If the government is going to continue to use population in allocating resources then this would mean that Coast will continue to suffer. The feeling of being a marginalised region would continue to be there,” said Prof Hassan Mwakimako, a political and socio-economic commentator.

In Kwale County (with 866,820), Human Rights Network executive officer George Jaramba said leaders failed to mobilise locals to be enumerated.

"In my opinion, I think our leaders did not take the exercise seriously because many people were not counted including 10 of my friends," he said.

In Taita Taveta, Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako had rallied locals living outside the county to go home to be enumerated in a campaign dubbed 'Ditalo Mzinyi'.

"Were it not for this campaign we would not have witnessed this slight increase in numbers," he said.

Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) organising secretary Sheikh Mohammed Khalifa urged residents to marry and have as many children as possible to allow the region benefit from development programmes.

But coastal counties of Mombasa and Kilifi are among the most populous in the country with more than one million people each.

Reporting by Kalume Kazungu, Fadhili Fredrick, Mohamed Ahmed and Lucy Mkanyika.