Hundreds of Burundian citizens recruited for the national agricultural and livestock census have raised the alarm over months of unpaid salaries, despite working on a government-led project.
The nationwide census, launched on October 12, 2025, is being carried out by the Bureau Central de Recensement (BCR) under the framework of the Institut National des Statistiques du Burundi (INSBU), with overall supervision at the national level by Nicolas Ndayishimiye. The operation involves the deployment of numerous contractual field agents across the country.
According to testimonies collected from the workers, many were assigned to provinces far from their usual places of residence. On the ground, they report extremely difficult living and working conditions, marked by the absence of transport allowances, travel costs fully borne by the agents themselves, food shortages, and mounting personal debts.
Yet, the workers insist that their contracts clearly stipulated that they would receive an advance payment at the start of the assignment to cover basic living expenses. The same contracts, valid for a period of six months, reportedly provided for monthly salary payments around the 15th of each month. Nearly three months into the operation, however, no payments have been made.
“Hunger and thirst have become part of our daily lives in the hills where we work. We move from one newly created commune to another without any logistical support. Anyone who dares to ask when we will be paid is immediately labeled a troublemaker seeking to incite unrest,” said one census agent, speaking on condition of anonymity.
As a result, a climate of fear has reportedly taken hold among the workers, many of whom say they no longer know where to turn to claim their rights. Several fear possible repercussions should they speak out publicly.
This situation raises serious questions about the financial preparedness and management of public projects. How can a nationwide operation of this scale be launched without secured funding for field staff? Are these delays the result of administrative bottlenecks, budgetary constraints, or deeper governance failures?
As of now, no official communication has been issued to explain the salary delays. The census workers are calling on the relevant authorities to urgently address their plight and release the payments owed, warning that the situation has become both unjust and socially unsustainable.