The government’s newly introduced National Cleaning Day has received widespread public support as a bold initiative to improve sanitation and environmental conservation. However, the inaugural exercise has also exposed glaring weaknesses in waste collection and disposal systems, raising concerns about the programme’s long-term effectiveness.
A countrywide assessment by Uganda Radio Network found that while communities enthusiastically participated in the clean-up exercise held on the last Saturday of the month, many local governments were overwhelmed by the volume of garbage collected.
Residents across several districts also reported shortages of basic cleaning equipment such as brooms, hoes, spades, wheelbarrows and protective gear, limiting the effectiveness of the exercise. The biggest challenge, however, emerged after the cleaning was completed. In many urban centres, garbage was collected into roadside heaps but remained uncollected because local authorities had not arranged transport to designated dumping sites.
The decomposing waste has since raised fresh concerns about sanitation, environmental pollution and the risk of disease outbreaks. The experiences have raised questions about whether local governments possess the resources and capacity needed to sustain a nationwide monthly clean-up campaign. In Mbale City, residents welcomed the initiative but expressed concern that garbage collected during the exercise has remained along roadsides for weeks.
Swamad Mwanje, the LC1 Chairperson of IUIU Cell, said transporting the waste to the designated dumping site remains the city’s biggest challenge. Resident Medy Namayo also observed that several roads in Namakwekwe Ward remain lined with decomposing garbage.
A similar situation was reported in Hoima City, where heaps of garbage remain along the Hoima–Fort Portal, Hoima–Butiaba and Bunyoro Kitara roads. Residents and business operators say the rotting waste has created an unpleasant environment, with some customers avoiding shops, restaurants and bars because of the foul smell.
Grace Kusemererwa, a resident of Kinubi Cell, questioned why authorities had delayed collecting the garbage, while Geoffrey Tumwesige from Kibingo Cell warned that the situation could trigger disease outbreaks. Hoima East Division LCIII Chairperson Bosco Muhanuzi acknowledged the problem and said efforts were underway to remove the waste. He also urged residents to stop dumping garbage indiscriminately, noting that garbage skips had already been provided in some areas.
In Moroto Municipality, the exercise emerged as one of the success stories. Municipal authorities coordinated the clean-up alongside joint security teams, local leaders and the business community, with a garbage truck following participants throughout the exercise to transport waste directly to the designated dumping site in Rupa Sub-county. LC1 Chairperson Joseph Achilla said the municipality had resolved to conduct community cleaning exercises every Saturday to sustain the gains.
Produce dealer Vincent Akol praised the coordination between municipal authorities and residents, saying all the garbage was removed immediately after collection.
In Arua City, the clean-up exercise resulted in a significant increase in waste collection. The city, which comprises 64 wards and 424 cells, collected 53 tonnes of solid waste, up from the normal daily average of 50 tonnes.
According to Godfrey Unyuthfua, the city’s Compost Site Officer, two garbage trucks and a wheel loader were deployed throughout the exercise, while residents supplemented the effort by transporting garbage using bicycles, motorcycles and private vehicles.
Unyuthfua said city authorities are now working to manage the increased waste volumes before the next National Cleaning Day to prevent over-accumulation at the compost site.
Despite the successful collection exercise, large heaps of garbage remained piled at the entrance to the compost site, highlighting the pressure the campaign has placed on the city’s waste management infrastructure. In Kapchorwa Municipality, authorities blamed delays in collecting garbage on the breakdown of the tractor normally used to transport waste.
Municipal Council Chairperson David Amiri said the council had temporarily deployed a truck to clear the waste while introducing new guidelines requiring shop owners and nearby communities to manage garbage around their premises instead of waiting for the monthly clean-up exercise.
Meanwhile, Fort Portal City managed to collect most of the waste generated during the exercise, including clearing a large garbage heap at Kabundaire Market. However, city leaders warned that the Kitere dumping site has reached capacity, creating uncertainty over where future waste will be disposed of.
In Luwero District, local authorities said their waste collection systems were overwhelmed despite each of Luwero, Wobulenzi and Bombo town councils having a garbage truck. Officials attributed the challenge to inadequate fuel and ageing equipment. Wobulenzi Town Council reported that waste volumes increased from an average of six truckloads per day to about 25 truckloads during the National Cleaning Day.
The council is currently relying on a hired private truck after its government vehicle was retired following 24 years of service. Local leaders are now appealing for a replacement truck and additional funding. In Gulu City, authorities plan to use future National Cleaning Day exercises to gradually reclaim neglected back streets that have turned into informal dumping sites.
City Communications Officer Mildred Auma said the council is engaging landlords and other stakeholders to clean one back street every month as part of a broader urban renewal programme aimed at improving sanitation and opening the areas for commercial development.
The findings from across the country suggest that while Ugandans embraced the inaugural National Cleaning Day, the success of the initiative will depend on stronger planning, adequate provision of cleaning equipment, reliable garbage collection systems and expanded waste disposal infrastructure.
Without addressing these challenges, residents warn that the monthly exercise risks becoming an event that simply shifts garbage from homes and streets to roadside heaps rather than delivering lasting improvements in public health and environmental cleanliness-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
