Makerere University has adjusted its academic calendar, pushing back its second semester to accommodate Uganda's forthcoming national population and housing census, which is set to take place from May 10 to May 20.
In a circular dated April 4, Academic Registrar Mr. Buyinza Mukadasi announced that the University Senate had approved the decision to adjust the semester and examination calendar in compliance with a government directive. According to the circular, the Semester II examinations will now start on Tuesday, May 21 and end on June 11, 2024.
As a result of this adjustment, all academic units at Makerere University (MUK) have been instructed to revise their teaching and examination timetables accordingly.
Unlike institutions on the semester system, primary and secondary schools, which use a term system, will not be affected by the census exercise, as it falls during their first term holiday. Schools are scheduled to break off for the first term holidays on May 3 and reopen for the second term at the end of the month.
This adjustment follows a directive issued by the Ministry of Education and Sports in November last year, requiring all institutions to release their students to participate in the national census. According to the directive, all learners at all levels of education are expected to be at home on the census night, which will be from May 9th to 10th, and during the field enumeration period from May 10 to 20.
The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) conducts a national census every ten years. The last census was held in 2014, which recorded a population of 36 million. The current population of Uganda is estimated to be 48.9 million.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, while officially launching the 6th census, emphasized the importance of the exercise in providing accurate data for the country's development goals.
"As we strive to achieve Uganda's Vision 2040, it is imperative that our plans are based on precise data regarding our people and resources," President Museveni stated.
The 2014 Uganda National Population and Housing Census was the fifth conducted in the country since independence. The collection effort was carried out through face-to-face interviews by enumerators administering a questionnaire to all households within assigned enumeration areas. The questionnaire covered various demographic and socioeconomic topics, along with questions on housing conditions, and disability. A post-enumeration survey was conducted to ensure data quality. The total population of Uganda was enumerated at 34,634,650.
