By Ben Musanje
Uganda’s newly launched National Cleaning Days initiative has been widely welcomed as a bold step towards improving sanitation and preventing hygiene-related diseases. However, the maiden nationwide exercise has also exposed significant operational, environmental and public health challenges, prompting calls for better planning before future editions are conducted.
The government officially rolled out the monthly National Cleaning Days campaign on Saturday, with citizens across the country participating in a mandatory three-hour community cleaning exercise aimed at improving sanitation, reducing disease outbreaks and fostering a culture of cleanliness.
The programme, conceived by President Yoweri Museveni and approved by Cabinet in August 2025, requires Ugandans to dedicate the last Saturday of every month to cleaning their homes, communities and public spaces.
While the exercise succeeded in mobilizing thousands of citizens, observations from several communities revealed shortcomings that experts say could undermine the programme’s long-term objectives if not addressed.
One of the most immediate concerns was the widespread burning of collected garbage instead of its proper disposal.
In many residential areas, heaps of waste collected during the exercise were set ablaze because no collection trucks arrived to transport them to designated disposal sites.
Environmental health experts warn that open burning of waste, particularly plastic materials such as polythene bags, commonly known as kaveera, releases dangerous toxic chemicals into the atmosphere.
The burning of plastics produces hazardous compounds such as dioxins and furans, which have been linked to respiratory illnesses, cancer, hormonal disorders and environmental pollution.
Residents in several neighborhoods reported heavy smoke hanging over communities for hours after the cleanup exercise, raising concerns about the exposure of children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions to polluted air.
Public health advocates argue that while the intention of cleaning communities is commendable, replacing scattered waste with widespread air pollution defeats the broader objective of protecting public health.
Another challenge observed was the absence of adequate waste collection systems after garbage had been assembled.
Large piles of refuse remained on roadsides, trading centres and open spaces because many local governments lacked trucks or personnel to transport the waste to gazetted disposal sites.
In some areas, residents expressed frustration after participating in the cleanup only to watch the accumulated garbage remain unattended hours after the exercise had ended.
Waste management specialists say community cleaning campaigns should be synchronized with garbage collection schedules to prevent cleaned areas from quickly reverting to their previous condition.
The exercise also exposed the shortage of basic cleaning equipment among many households and communities.
Many residents turned up without essential tools such as hoes, slashers, spades, rakes, wheelbarrows, brooms, gumboots, gloves and protective clothing.
Others lacked disinfectants and detergents required to safely clean drainage channels, pit latrines and areas contaminated with human waste.
Health experts warn that handling waste without protective equipment exposes participants to infections, injuries and contact with hazardous materials.
Concerns were also raised about the absence of clearly identified garbage disposal points.
In many communities, residents collected waste but had no designated locations where it could be safely dumped.
As a result, refuse was left in open spaces, roadside verges and vacant plots awaiting collection that often did not come.
Some communities resorted to dumping garbage into drainage channels or burning it, practices that environmentalists say worsen flooding and air pollution.
Another major concern was the limited public education provided before the exercise.
Several participants appeared unaware of safe waste handling procedures, including how to separate hazardous waste from ordinary household refuse.
Environmental health practitioners noted that garbage collected during the exercise included used syringes, medical gloves, expired medicines and pharmaceutical waste that had apparently been discarded by health facilities, clinics and drug shops.
Without proper segregation, such waste poses serious risks to community members participating in cleanup exercises.
Experts also warned that expired medicines and contaminated medical materials should never be burned or disposed of together with ordinary household garbage because they may release toxic substances or contaminate soil and water sources.
There were also concerns that residents were not adequately sensitized on protecting food and drinking water from contamination by dust, smoke and other pollutants generated during the cleanup exercise.
Despite these shortcomings, government officials maintain that the National Cleaning Days programme remains a critical intervention in improving Uganda’s sanitation standards.
Launching the initiative in Kisenyi, Kampala, Vice President Jessica Alupo, who represented President Museveni, described the programme as a major milestone in promoting hygiene, public health and civic responsibility.
She urged Ugandans to make cleanliness a daily habit beginning at household level before extending it to neighborhoods, schools, markets and workplaces.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said the initiative had been under preparation for nearly a year before Cabinet approved its implementation.
She explained that improving sanitation would reduce the burden of hygiene-related diseases, enabling Ugandans to remain healthy and productive.
According to Nabbanja, the government has already developed implementation guidelines outlining the responsibilities of ministries, departments, agencies and local governments to ensure uniform implementation across the country.
Addressing concerns about waste management capacity, Vice President Alupo announced that government would continue equipping local governments with garbage trucks, gloves and other waste management equipment needed to support the monthly exercise.
She urged district and city authorities to properly maintain the equipment and ensure it is effectively utilized.
The government’s assurance followed concerns previously raised by Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Balimwezo, who questioned whether local authorities possessed adequate capacity to handle the additional waste generated during nationwide clean-up campaigns.
Balimwezo noted that Kampala produces approximately 3,200 tonnes of garbage every day but currently collects only about 770 tonnes, leaving a substantial volume either uncollected or disposed of through informal means.
He cautioned that without sufficient collection trucks, disposal sites and waste management infrastructure, community cleaning exercises could inadvertently create new sanitation challenges.
Environmental experts argue that the success of National Cleaning Days will ultimately depend not only on citizen participation but also on sustained investment in waste management systems.
They recommend that future exercises be preceded by comprehensive public sensitization campaigns, provision of protective gear, identification of designated waste collection points, deployment of adequate garbage trucks and strict enforcement of regulations governing hazardous waste disposal.
Others have proposed involving environmental health officers, village health teams and community leaders more actively in planning and supervising the monthly exercises to ensure that cleaning activities do not unintentionally create new public health risks.
As Uganda embarks on what government hopes will become a lasting national culture of cleanliness, the inaugural National Cleaning Day has demonstrated both the public’s willingness to participate and the urgent need to strengthen the systems that support effective waste management.
The challenge now, observers say, is ensuring that future editions not only mobilize citizens to clean their communities but also provide the infrastructure, equipment and technical guidance necessary to safely manage the waste collected, thereby delivering the healthier and cleaner environment the initiative seeks to achieve. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
