Three days into Uganda's first ever digital National population and housing and census, the exercise has been hit by a major setback.

Some of the digital devices referred to as tablets being used in the ongoing exercise have been stolen from some of the enumerations in the field deployed in respective places across several districts in the country.

The police have mounted an investigation into the theft that is feared it could stall the ongoing population and housing census.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said: "We want to ascertain the circumstances under which the devices were stolen and get leads that can enable us to recover the stolen items."

This has happened at a time when there are contractual and payment hiccups between Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the government department involved in census and the enumerators.

But based on that background police said it will not take chances.

"We will investigate individual enumerators whose Tablets were stolen and also investigate circumstances under which the gadgets were stolen," Enanga added.

UBOS secured 12,000 tablets with sophisticated features that help it to keep safe even if it drops down. The tablets are being used to gather data in the ongoing census exercise.

Regardless of the theft of some gadgets, hope is not lost for UBOS, UBOS board chairperson Albert Byamugisha still insists the exercise will continue un interrupted to achieve the intended objectives.