All bars in Kirinyaga County should remain closed on the national population census day set for August 24, County Commissioner Jim Njoka has ordered.

The commissioner said the establishments should be closed by 6 pm on August 24 to enable residents to participate in the census. Njoka instructed chiefs and the police to implement the directive so that no one is locked out when the exercise kicks off.

“All residents should be at home that day and wait for enumerators who will be moving from house to house counting people,” he said at Kirinyaga University.

Mr Njoka also urged bar owners to cooperate with the directive so that the exercise can be a success. He further assured the enumerators of their security and asked them not to fear when working at night.

“Security will be beefed up in urban and rural areas to make sure that the exercise will not be interfered with,” said the administrator.

Additionally, the commissioner said census officials who will be in the company of security agents must have identification badges when entering people’s homes.

“Officials must identify themselves during census so that that the residents can furnish them with all the information required. Criminals may take advantage of the census and commit crimes and residents should be careful,” he said.

Njoka advised the residents not to allow anybody who fails to identify themselves into their houses during the census.