The government has officially gazetted the National Cleaning Day as a day for communities across Uganda to conduct general cleaning and improve sanitation in their areas.
The next national cleaning exercise will be held on August 29, 2026, following the inaugural exercise conducted on July 29. The main national event will be held in Kyaliwajjala, Kira Municipality, and will be attended by senior government officials led by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.
Nabbanja announced the date at her office in Kampala, saying the government had decided to formalise the cleaning exercise after the first exercise was successfully carried out.
She said the exercise should take no more than three hours and called on leaders and members of the public to take part.
“I call upon leaders at all levels, including Members of Parliament, the Judiciary, religious leaders, security agencies, the business community, civil society organisations and learning institutions, to observe the day and support the initiative,” Nabbanja said.
She said the exercise should not be treated as the responsibility of government alone, but as a national effort in which every citizen has a role to play in keeping communities clean and protecting public health.
Nabbanja also urged households to sort their waste before disposal to make it easier for waste handlers to collect and manage it.
She asked communities to avoid dumping rubbish in undesignated places and instead place collected waste at agreed collection points where garbage trucks can easily access it.
“Garbage should be collected in one place and allow the vehicles to collect it well,” she said.
The prime minister said the National Cleaning Day is being implemented within the framework of existing national health and environmental laws and that maintaining clean surroundings is a shared responsibility.
She said Adventists would be allowed to conduct their cleaning activities on Sunday instead, so that they can observe their Sabbath without being required to participate in activities on Saturday.
Dr Sarah Zalwango, the director of public health at Kampala Capital City Authority, pledged the authority’s support for the exercise.
Zalwango urged residents to participate in the cleaning campaign and cooperate with authorities and waste handlers to ensure that the exercise achieves its purpose.
The government says the wider goal of the National Cleaning Day is to encourage Ugandans to take greater responsibility for their surroundings and build a culture of proper waste management beyond the designated cleaning days.
