The African Statistics Day (ASD) was adopted in May 1990 at the 16th Meeting of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Conference of African Ministers responsible for Planning and Economic Development. The day is celebrated on November 18 each year in order to “increase public awareness about the important role that statistics play in all aspects of social and economic life”.
Today, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics joins other statistics offices across the African Continent in celebrating the 2019 African Statistics Day. The theme of this year is “Everyone counts: quality statistics for better management of forced displacement in Africa”, which is in line with the theme of the African Union Summit 2019, that is: “The year of refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons: towards durable solutions to forced displacement in Africa”.
This theme was chosen to raise awareness on the critical importance of disaggregated statistics in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), spirit of “leaving no one behind”, and in response to the challenge of managing forced displacement in Africa.
With an ever-growing number of forcibly displaced persons globally, data is required both at national and international level. Such data are necessary to better understand the phenomenon of refugees and asylum seekers to enable many stakeholders to analyse its impacts, and to measure changes over time and also provide the requisite evidence to support better policy formulation and sound decision making, more effective monitoring, evaluation and accountability of policies and programs; and enhanced public debate and advocacy.
As the principal government agency for official statistics, the KNBS is committed to provide disaggregated high-quality statistics geared towards the improvement of the welfare of those resident in Kenya. The Bureau takes cognizance that evidence-based decision making is a universally recognized paradigm of sustainable development. In fulfilling our mandate of coordinating the National Statistical System (NSS), the Bureau is collaborating with the Department of Immigration and the Refugee Affairs Secretariat to collect, collate, compile, analyse and disseminate refugee statistics. The data is published for both adult and children refugees by sex and age in Chapter 17 of the annual Economic Survey Report produced by the Bureau. Such collaboration is also vital in enhancing concerted efforts culminating in strategies that address forcible displacement.
The Bureau will continue compiling statistics on forcible displacement which are critical for monitoring and implementing international agendas and agreements, particularly the global 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 on the Africa We Want, particularly, “A peaceful and Secure Africa”.
The Bureau is committed to keeping you informed by providing and will endeavour to provide data for policy formulation and monitoring of development progress. The Bureau collected comprehensive data on migrants in the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census which will provides rich data on persons who migrated due to conflicts/disaster displacement, or as refugees and asylum seekers. This information will be availed once analysed for better management of forced displacement in Kenya and Africa.
Director General’s Message on African Statistics Day