Consider Jobless Youth for KNBS Census Jobs

A Homa Bay based lobby group wants the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) census jobs to be given to jobless youths and retired senior citizens who have no source of income.

It wants the bureau to bar civil servants and pensioned retirees from applying and being part of the 2019 population census.

The Homa Bay Bunge La Wenye Nchi also says that professionals such as employed teachers, nurses, doctors or any other employed people should not be allowed to work for KNBS.

According to leaders of the Homa Bay lobby group, Okano Nyasanga, Zachary Ooro, and Walter Opiyo, most census job applicants who have been shortlisted by the KNBS are civil servants, including medical practitioners and teachers.

Already, interviews for content supervisors that is ongoing is proof that KNBS employed many civil servants for the jobs.

“Apart from civil servants, the KNBS has shortlisted Civil Service retirees who have a pension for the national census jobs and they are likely to be the majority of the people who will get the job,” said Mr. Opiyo.

The Bunge La Wenye Nchi is of the opinion that the many jobless youths who applied for the various positions announced by the KNBS should be shortlisted, interviewed and trained to work for the bureau instead.

They argue that the youth, apart from being the best option to render KNBS services, do not have other responsibilities and are therefore likely to be available for the whole census period.

Civil servants, on the other hand, are likely to put to peril service delivery to Kenyans as they have other responsibilities in their various workplaces.

“Denying the youth the opportunity to serve would be contrary to the government’s vision of job creation,” added Mr. Opiyo.

Recruitment for KNBS job applicants is ongoing in preparation for the first Digital national census that is set to start officially on August 24, countrywide.