Its voluntary to give your ID number in census, Amnesty International tells Kenyans

Human rights group Amnesty International has advised Kenyans that it is voluntary to give census enumerators their passport and/or identity numbers.

The group’s Kenyan chapter, in a statement released Sunday, stated that censuses are anonymous exercises by law as well as by international standards.

“We have received complains that persons are being threatened or the exercise is being stopped when they decline to answer the request for their passport and identity number,” read the statement.

“The 2019 census is regulated by the Official Statistics Act. The schedule in the Act does not include any information that personally identifies you.”

They further added that Kenyan citizens threatened with arrest by enumerators when they decline to issue their passport and identity numbers should reach out to them – via WhatsApp number +254 762 242651 – with details such as full name, mobile number, date, time and location of incident as well as name of enumerator and type of threat.

The 2019 census began on Saturday August 24, 2019 and is set to run until August 31, 2019.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, Deputy President William Ruto, former President Daniel arap Moi and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga were among the first Kenyans to be enumerated.