Vice President Jessica Alupo has officially launched the first mandatory National Cleaning Day, with authorities enforcing nationwide traffic restrictions and mobilising thousands of citizens to participate in a three-hour community clean-up exercise aimed at improving sanitation and reducing the spread of preventable diseases.
The exercise, held under the theme“A Clean Uganda is Everybody’s Responsibility,” took place on Saturday between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., during which non-essential movement was prohibited, businesses temporarily closed, and only emergency services, security vehicles and authorised cross-border traffic were allowed to operate.
The campaign was launched at Usafi Park in Kampala, where Vice President Jessica Alupo led government officials, security agencies, local leaders and members of the public in cleaning activities.
Speaking during the launch, Vice President Jessica Alupo said the initiative was intended to reduce the burden of preventable diseases, arguing that investing in sanitation is more effective than spending public funds on treatment.
“When people fall sick, the government incurs substantial treatment costs,” Alupo said, adding that prevention through proper hygiene and environmental cleanliness remains one of the most effective ways to protect public health.
Her remarks echoed earlier statements by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, who said poor sanitation contributes to approximately 75% of diseases reported in Uganda, including malaria, diarrhoea and typhoid.
Government officials have also cited Ministry of Health data indicating that dozens of children die each day from illnesses linked to poor hygiene and unsafe sanitation.
Uganda Police Force deployed officers across the country to enforce temporary movement restrictions introduced for the exercise.
Deputy Inspector General of Police James Ocaya joined the Vice President and other senior officials during the launch at Usafi Park, while police units monitored compliance in districts across the country.
Before the exercise, police announced that all private vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles would be prohibited from using public roads during the three-hour period unless travelling for authorised emergency purposes.
Police urged members of the public to cooperate with security personnel and participate in community cleaning activities before resuming normal movement after 10:00 a.m.
As the exercise got underway, traffic police in Kasese District carried out enforcement operations against motorists who failed to comply with the movement restrictions.
Images and videos shared by local media showed officers stopping vehicles during the designated cleaning period as authorities sought to ensure nationwide observance of the government’s directive.
Officials said the restrictions were necessary to maximise public participation and prevent unnecessary travel during the exercise.
The enforcement marked one of Uganda’s largest coordinated public sanitation operations since the COVID-19 pandemic, when similar movement controls were used to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The mandatory nature of the initiative has generated mixed reactions.
Many Ugandans welcomed the programme, arguing that cleaner communities would reduce disease outbreaks, improve drainage systems and create healthier living environments.
Others questioned whether nationwide movement restrictions were proportionate for a sanitation exercise, particularly for travellers, businesses and workers with urgent commitments.
Former opposition MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda criticised the restrictions, suggesting that citizens should be free to continue their daily activities while those participating in the cleaning exercise carried on with the programme.
The National Cleaning Day initiative stems from a Cabinet resolution adopted in August 2025, which approved the creation of a nationwide monthly sanitation programme.
The government says the campaign is also grounded in Article 39 of Uganda’s Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to a clean and healthy environment while imposing a duty to protect it.
Local governments have been instructed to mobilise residents and coordinate cleaning activities in priority areas, including, roads and streets, drainage channels and markets.
Officials say the programme is intended to complement not replace existing waste collection and sanitation services by encouraging greater community participation.
Uganda’s initiative resembles community sanitation programmes implemented in several African countries, most notably Rwanda’s Umuganda, where citizens participate in monthly community work that includes cleaning public spaces, repairing roads and undertaking local development projects.
Public health experts say such programmes can improve environmental hygiene and strengthen community participation when supported by effective waste management systems, adequate sanitation infrastructure and sustained public education.
However, specialists caution that periodic clean-up campaigns alone cannot solve urban sanitation challenges unless accompanied by improved garbage collection, drainage maintenance and enforcement of environmental regulations.
National Cleaning Day will now be observed on the last Saturday of every month, with similar three-hour community cleaning exercises planned across Uganda.
Government officials say they will continue evaluating the programme’s implementation while encouraging greater public participation in future exercises.
