KAMPALA — Thousands of Ugandans on Saturday took part in the country’s inaugural National Cleaning Day, sweeping streets, clearing drainage channels, collecting garbage, and cleaning public spaces in a nationwide exercise aimed at improving sanitation and preventing disease.
The campaign, held from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., was officially launched by Vice President Jessica Alupo, who represented President Yoweri Museveni, in Kiti Zone, Kisenyi III Parish in Kampala. She was joined by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, Second Deputy Prime Minister Rukia Nakadama, Cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) officials, and leaders from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
The exercise marked the implementation of a Cabinet decision made in 2025 designating the last Saturday of every month as National Cleaning Day.
Launching the initiative, Vice President Alupo said a clean environment is essential to Uganda’s social and economic transformation. “A healthy and clean environment is critical to our transformation. That’s why Cabinet approved the National Cleaning Day in 2025,” she said.
She urged Ugandans to make cleanliness a daily habit, beginning at the household level. “Cleaning should start at the household and extend to our communities. Uganda belongs to all of us,” she said before officially declaring the monthly exercise open.
The Vice President said today’s launch should set a lasting example that a clean environment contributes to a healthier and stronger nation.
She noted that poor waste segregation and indiscriminate disposal of plastics and other waste continue to endanger communities, contributing to disease outbreaks and flooding.
According to Alupo, blocked drainage channels—often clogged with plastic bottles and polythene bags locally known as buveeras—have worsened flooding in Kampala, increasing residents’ exposure to waterborne diseases.
She added that preventing disease through sanitation and hygiene reduces the burden on government health spending and complements other public health interventions such as immunisation, nutrition and physical exercise.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja described the launch as the culmination of nearly a year of planning, saying President Museveni had championed the initiative from its inception.
“The lead champion of this National Cleaning Day is President Yoweri Museveni. We have been planning this for quite some time, and the President has sent us another champion, Her Excellency the Vice President Jessica Alupo, to launch this initiative,” Nabbanja said.
She added that the government would incorporate the monthly exercise into national planning and budgeting.
“We have a slogan for this day: A Clean Uganda is Everybody’s Responsibility,” she said, noting that cleaner communities would help reduce diseases such as malaria.
Second Deputy Prime Minister Rukia Nakadama encouraged citizens who had remained indoors to join future exercises, emphasising that maintaining clean surroundings is everyone’s responsibility.
Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi said the government wants to make cleanliness part of Uganda’s culture, noting that many illnesses affecting the population are preventable.
“Up to 75 percent of diseases in Uganda are preventable, including cholera, malaria and typhoid, which are associated with dirty environments,” he said.
Government Chief Whip Dr Jane Ruth Aceng said the monthly initiative allows communities to take responsibility for creating healthier living environments.
Minister of State for Environment Beatrice Anywar said the government continues to invest heavily in infrastructure such as roads, markets and hospitals, but stressed that these investments can only be sustained in clean surroundings.
She added that the Ministry of Water and Environment, through NEMA, fully supports the initiative, saying proper waste management also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
NEMA Executive Director Dr Barirega Akankwasah warned against indiscriminate dumping of waste, saying enforcement measures would accompany public education.
“A clean environment is the first hospital, the first classroom, and the first investment in our economy. Every plastic bottle picked, every drainage channel cleared, and every tree protected is an investment in Uganda’s health, dignity and prosperity. National Cleaning Day must not be a monthly event—it must become a national culture.”
The Kampala Capital City Authority coordinated cleaning activities around Usafi Market, Lubiri Ring Road and surrounding areas, where teams carried out general cleaning, waste evacuation, road washing, unclogging of drainage channels and public sensitisation on proper waste management.
Across the country, ministries, local governments, security agencies, schools, businesses, sports clubs—including Kitara FC—and community groups participated in similar exercises.
Police temporarily restricted non-essential movement and business operations in several urban centres to enable residents to focus on the cleanup.
While many Ugandans welcomed the initiative and praised the government’s efforts to improve sanitation, some travellers expressed concern over transport disruptions, while social media users shared humorous memes about “catching the broom.” Others argued that regular garbage collection and stronger waste management systems would be necessary to ensure the campaign delivers lasting results.
The government nonetheless declared the inaugural National Cleaning Day a success and called on citizens to embrace the monthly exercise as a permanent civic responsibility aimed at creating a cleaner, healthier and more resilient Uganda.
