The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, KNBS, has intensified public participation forums across the country as part of efforts to collect views and recommendations on the proposed Statistics Bill 2026.
The proposed bill seeks to repeal the Statistics Act of 2006, which established the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, and replace it with a new legal framework aimed at strengthening the country’s statistical system.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ sensitization forum in Isiolo, Acting Head of Legal Affairs at KNBS, Linda Olwenyi, said the public participation exercise has already been conducted in all regions of the country, including the Eastern Cluster which was the last one after holding such forums across the country.
Olwenyi noted that the forums are bringing together opinion leaders, government officials, and other stakeholders within the Kenya Statistical System to give comments, views, and written memorandums on the draft bill.
She explained that the proposed law seeks to establish the Kenya Statistics Authority, a new body that will have a broader mandate and enhanced funding to support statistical activities in the country.
According to Olwenyi, many statistical operations remain underfunded, affecting the collection and management of important national data. She added that the new authority will strengthen planning and coordination of statistics across government institutions.
At the same time, she assured Kenyans that all personal information collected during government statistical exercises remains safe and confidential.
Olwenyi emphasized that KNBS follows strict data protection measures and urged members of the public to continue cooperating whenever information is required for official statistical purposes.
Isiolo Central Division Assistant County Commissioner James Macharia said local administrators, including assistant chiefs, area managers, community leaders, and opinion leaders, participated in the sensitization forum.
Macharia expressed confidence that the awareness campaign will help reach more members of the public and improve understanding of the importance of national statistics.
He urged citizens to provide accurate information during government data collection exercises, noting that reliable statistics play a key role in national planning and budgeting.
Macharia said accurate data helps the government make informed decisions on resource allocation and development priorities in different sectors of the economy. He added that if the government of kenya has accurate statistics it can for example build a school or hospital at the place where the statistics shows there is population and need.
One of the participants at the forum, Lydia Nyawira, described the engagement as informative and beneficial.
Nyawira said the forum helped her better understand how KNBS operates and how data collected from Kenyans is managed and protected.
The public participation exercise on the Statistics Bill 2026 is expected to continue in different parts of the country before the final draft is submitted for consideration.
