Picture: Local Man From Vihiga Hides on Top of a Tree to Avoid Being Counted in Census

Here’s another piece of census drama served fresh for you. On Tuesday August 27th, a resident in Itumbi village Vihiga county was arrested when he perched on top of a tree to run away from census enumerators. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics staff reported that the suspect ran away from the enumerators who had come to take count of residents. He then hid on top of a tree to avoid the enumeration exercise.

The runaway local, Elias Asige claimed to have climbed the tree on purpose in order to avoid the exercise. He however did not give reason as to why he did not wish to be counted. The area county commissioner Susan Waweru shared with the media that the uncooperative resident was taken to Serem Police station in Vihiga for questioning.

Elias Asige’s flight and climb was short lived when security officers arrived at the village and arrested him after getting tipped off by the public. The minor operation was led by the chief of Banja location, Harun Mbeere. The chief revealed that the suspect apprehended was actually part of a cultic church in Eldoret.

“He has on several occasions in the past rejected to participate in government projects and programmes often citing his Church doctrines. The man has in the past given officers out to collect important data or administer government programmes a difficult time,” said Mbeere to the public.