Police in Kabale District have arrested eight people for allegedly violating National Cleaning Day guidelines as Bank of Uganda Deputy Governor Prof. Augustus Nuwagaba took part in cleaning several areas of Kabale Municipality.
The arrests were made on the orders of Deputy Resident District Commissioner (DRDC) Michael Muramira Kyakashari, who accompanied Prof. Nuwagaba as he led government officials, students, religious leaders and other community members in cleaning areas around Kabale Central Market, the Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE) Kabale Campus, and the Bank of Uganda’s Kabale Branch.
According to the Kyakashari, some of those arrested were found drinking alcohol in bars during the scheduled National Cleaning Day activities.
“You can imagine: the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Uganda is here with a broom, sweeping to clean his country, while some residents of the area are in bars, busy drinking alcohol,” Kyakashari said. He added that anyone who refused to clean the areas around them would be arrested and forced to clean the prisons.
The DRDC said all National Cleaning Day guidelines, including mandatory participation by all Ugandans, the suspension of vehicle movements and the closure of businesses, would be fully enforced on the last Saturday of every month until Kabale District residents embraced and began participating in the program without being forced.
Prof. Nuwagaba said it was shameful and disappointing that people had been arrested for failing to take part in National Cleaning Day activities, which require only three out of the 672 hours in a month. He described the failure to participate as lazy and unacceptable.
“Kabale is my home, and I’m disappointed to see eight people being arrested for being too lazy to clean their home. They have shamed us,” he said.
Nuwagaba, who is in Kabale District on official duties, reminded Ugandans that more than 75% of the national disease burden is linked to poor sanitation and hygiene issues that the National Cleaning Day programme aims to partly address.
Meanwhile, UNITE Kabale Campus Dean Annet Komunda used the opportunity to inform the Deputy Governor of the institution’s needs, including paving the two roads linking the campus to Kabale town centre, constructing a perimeter fence and improving street lighting to enhance security.
Kabale District LC5 Chairperson Mr. Denis Nzeirwe Ndyomugyenyi said the two streets mentioned, including Rukonjo Road, which connects UNITE Kabale Campus to Nyakambu Trading Centre in Southern Division, had been included in the next Kabale Municipality projects for funding under the Uganda Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) program-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
