By Aggrey Baba
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has pushed back against the government’s decision to hold the National Cleaning Day on the last Saturday of every month, warning that the programme clashes with one of their most important days (the Sabbath).
The Uganda Union Mission of Seventh-day Adventists, in Friday’s public communication, told its members that while the church supports efforts aimed at improving sanitation and keeping communities clean, it won’t ignore the religious importance of Saturday, which Adventists observe as a day reserved for worship and spiritual reflection.
The church leadership said the government programme creates a conflict because the designated cleaning day falls within the period when Adventists are expected to stop ordinary activities and dedicate themselves to God.
The Sabbath, according to them, begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday, a period believers are taught to spend in worship, fellowship and communion with God.
The Union Mission’s President Pr. Kajoba Samuel said the church is already engaging government authorities to find a way of balancing the national cleanliness campaign with the constitutional right to freedom of worship.
“While the Seventh-day Adventist Church fully supports initiatives that promote a clean and healthy environment, we remain committed to the sanctity of the Seventh-day Sabbath as ordained by God,” Kajoba wrote in a statement.
The church has proposed that its members be allowed to participate in the cleaning exercises either on Friday or Sunday, depending on what arrangement is reached with authorities.
Kajoba appealed to Adventists to remain calm as discussions continue, urging them not to engage in confrontation but to remain firm in their faith while respecting government institutions.
The government introduced the monthly cleaning programme after Cabinet, in 2025, designated the last Saturday of every month as National Cleaning Day, with President Yoweri Museveni expected to lead the inaugural exercise in Nakasero tomorrow.
The initiative is intended to mobilize Ugandans to take responsibility for sanitation and environmental protection, especially in communities, markets and public spaces.
However, the choice of Saturday as the official cleaning day has now placed the government programme between a rock andahard place, with Adventists seeking an alternative arrangement that allows them to participate without violating their Sabbath observance. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
