ABSTRACT
Until the late nineteenth century the three mainland territories of British East Africa, now designated Kenya Colony and Protectorate, the Trusteeship Territory of Tanganyika and the Protectorate of Uganda, were hardly known to the western world and no records existed of population trends or other economic or social behaviour. Other estimates, varying in size, but possibly equally inaccurate, continued to be made until comprehensive censuses were carried out throughout British East Africa for the first time in 1948. This chapter describes the methods of estimation used prior to 1948, followed by details of the methodology used in the censuses of 1948 and subsequent censuses, together with descriptions of and comments on the methods of sample surveys being undertaken as supplementary to the census studies. The system adopted in the census of Tanganyika in 1957 was similar to that used for the East African territories in 1948.
