By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
NATIONAL
The Ministry of Local Government has directed all Chief Administrative Officers, City Town Clerks, and Municipal Town Clerks to immediately begin implementing a new nationwide program dubbed National Cleaning Days (NCDs).
The initiative, anchored on a recent Cabinet decision, is aimed at improving public health, sanitation, and productivity across the country.
In a letter dated September 15, 2025, Permanent Secretary Ben Kumumanya instructed officials to mobilize stakeholders and communities for the exercise, which will be held on the last Saturday of every month.
The program will follow a “Whole of Government Approach,” bringing on board Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Local Governments, civil society, cultural and religious institutions, and households.
According to the directive, cleaning activities will include bush clearing, refuse collection, desilting drainage channels, street sweeping, clearing stagnant water, managing solid and liquid waste, cleaning and protecting water sources, repairing sanitation facilities, and mobilizing communities to construct new ones. Awareness campaigns for food handlers on hygiene and safety will also be conducted.
The Ministry emphasized that the initiative will accelerate outcomes under Pillar 4 of the Parish Development Model (PDM), such as improving quality of life, enhancing social inclusion, reducing catastrophic health expenditures, and boosting productivity at household and parish levels.
The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) has welcomed the program. Executive Director Dr. Barirega Akankwasah said the cleaning days will deliver immediate environmental and public health benefits.
“These national cleaning days will significantly contribute to improved quality of life, increased life expectancy, and a reduction in the health expenditures that frequently result from poor sanitation and environmental mismanagement,” Dr. Akankwasah said on Friday.
He added that the program aligns with NEMA’s mandate of ensuring a clean, healthy, and productive environment.
“The exercise is not just about sweeping streets, it is about protecting lives, reducing flooding risks, safeguarding public health, and ultimately fostering national productivity,” Barirega stressed, calling on all Ugandans to embrace the directive.
