Police lob teargas on Kangemi youth after they stormed census enumerators training session

There was chaos in Kangemi, Westlands Constituency on Thursday morning as youth stormed a training session for 2019 census enumerators.

The youth who interrupted the session at Kihumbuini Primary School claimed that there had been irregularities in the selection of enumerators in the region.

Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi reported to the scene as police lobbed teargas to disperse the rowdy crowd.

Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi during a past constituency event. Police lob teargas on Kangemi youth after they stormed census enumerators training session Pulse Live Kenya

The MP halted the training programme for the day stating that it would only resume once the register of enumerators had been audited to establish whether the youths were right.

The youths claim that a majority of the enumerators are from Eastlands

A similar incident took place in Kiambaa Constituency on Wednesday where locals protested the hiring of enumerators who are not part of the local community.

Census 2019 hiring exercise carried out by local administrators

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) assigned the hiring process for the 2019 census enumerators to local administrators.

Kenyans online shared complaints of having been asked to give bribes in exchange for an opportunity to file their applications.

In Homa Bay County, five residents filed a petition in court seeking to have the census process stopped at the county.

KNBS Director General Zachary Mwangi. Police lob teargas on Kangemi youth after they stormed census enumerators training session Pulse Live Kenya

The five - Michael Otieno, Evance Oloo, John Okambo, Antony Gaya and Daniel Otieno Onyango - claimed that KNBS and the local administrators flouted recruitment policies by giving the jobs to individuals who had not applied.

The census is scheduled to begin on the night of August 24, 2019 and end after seven days.