Upcoming Ugandan Census will not count intersex people
Uganda’s national Census next month will not count intersex people. The revelation about the exclusion of intersex Ugandans in the 9-day Census exercise that will begin on May 10 has been confirmed to the Washington Blade by the head of Uganda’s Bureau of Statistics.
UBOS Executive Director Chris Mukiza in response to the Blade’s questions on the issue said the agency has “no business with intersex.” Their counting could have made Uganda the second African country and the third globally after Australia and Kenya to collect an intersex person’s data in a Census.
Kenya’s 2019 Census determined there were more than 1,500 intersex people in the country. Uganda had a population of 34.8 million, according to the country’s last Census that took place in 2014.
Intersex people in Uganda are among marginalized groups, subject to stigma and discrimination. The government has yet to recognize them as the third sex and consider them among other minority groups, such as people with disabilities, who enjoy special treatment.
