By Ben Musanje
The government is developing a policy that will make participation in the National Cleaning Day exercise mandatory for all schools across Uganda as part of efforts to instill a culture of cleanliness and proper waste management among learners.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has tasked the Ministry of Education and Sports with ensuring that schools are incorporated into the proposed National Cleaning Day policy and required to participate in the nationwide exercises.
Nabbanja made the directive during an inter-ministerial meeting held at Office of the Prime Minister in Kampala on Thursday to prepare for the next National Cleaning Day exercise scheduled for September 29 in Hoima City, Bunyoro Sub-region.
The Prime Minister said schools must be at the center of efforts to change Uganda’s attitudes towards cleanliness, arguing that children should be taught proper waste management from an early age.
She said the government could not successfully change the culture of cleanliness without involving schools, where habits and values can be developed and passed on to the next generation.
Nabbanja called for waste sorting to be introduced from the pre-primary level, with children taught to separate decomposable waste, plastics, metals and paper.
She said the proposed policy should be fast-tracked through Cabinet and Parliament to establish a legal framework for waste sorting and management.
According to Nabbanja, the National Cleaning Day exercises are generating significant amounts of waste across the country, creating an urgent need for properly designated disposal sites.
She directed relevant authorities to expedite the gazzeting of dump sites not only in Kampala and Mukono but across the country to prevent waste generated during the exercises from ending up in rivers and creating additional environmental hazards.
Nabbanja said the upcoming cleaning exercise in Hoima would receive particular attention as the government prepares the city and surrounding areas for major events, including the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027.
She encouraged communities to take responsibility for cleanliness around their homes, villages and neighborhoods, while emphasizing the need for participants in Hoima to concentrate efforts within the designated epicenter of the national exercise.
Education Ministry backs policy
Acting Minister for Education and Sports John Chrysostom Muyingo welcomed the proposal to involve schools, saying practices introduced among learners could gradually become part of the country’s culture.
Muyingo urged those responsible for developing the policy to accelerate the process, saying the education sector needed a clear framework to guide schools on their role in the National Cleaning Day programme.
He said involving schools would help embed cleanliness and responsible waste management into children’s daily lives rather than treating the activities as occasional exercises.
The proposed policy is expected to provide a framework for schools to participate in national cleaning activities while promoting waste sorting and environmental responsibility among learners.
The government’s push comes as National Cleaning Day exercises continue to generate discussions about waste disposal, public participation and the need for permanent systems to manage the waste collected during nationwide clean-up campaigns. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
