By Wadulo Arnold Mark
The State Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Joyce Juliet Nabbosa Ssebugwawo, has issued a rallying cry to all Ugandans to actively participate in the newly reinstated National Cleaning Day program. Speaking in an exclusive interview with UBC following a government resolution, the Minister emphasized that the exercise is not just a civic duty but a vital intervention for public health and national pride.
The program, locally referred to as Bulungi Bwansi, is scheduled to take place from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. every last Saturday of the month. Minister Ssebugwawo cautioned citizens against taking the initiative lightly, stressing that the responsibility for a clean environment rests on every individual.
“The garbage was almost everywhere, so Uganda must be clean,” the Minister emphasised during the interview.“Let’s keep our country clean by waking up on every last Saturday of every month and go out and start cleaning. Everybody must get out and go and clean”.
A central theme of the Minister’s message was the direct link between environmental hygiene and personal well-being. She noted that excessive filth in residential and business areas is a primary driver of preventable illnesses, which place a significant financial burden on households.
“When you get sick, of course, you spend money to go to hospital because the garbage causes illness,” Ssebugwawo explained. She urged citizens to take ownership of their surroundings as a form of self-care:
“I’m appealing to everybody to make sure that you look after yourself. Look after yourself by collecting the garbage which is surrounding you”.
While praising the enthusiasm shown by citizens in previous cleaning exercises, the Minister turned her attention to the logistical failures of local authorities, particularly the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). She acknowledged widespread complaints regarding garbage that remained uncollected on roadsides for up to a week after citizens had gathered it.
To prevent a recurrence, she called on those in charge of garbage collection to increase their efforts and expand their fleet of trucks for the next phase.
Regarding the enforcement of the exercise, the Minister appealed for a harmonious approach between the public and law enforcement. She advised against any form of intimidation or harassment of the public during the designated cleaning hours. “Don’t expect the policemen to harass the citizen… I’m expecting the policemen to handle the citizen well,” she noted, emphasizing cooperation over coercion.
As the second National Cleaning Day approaches this month, some Ugandans remain reluctant to participate and continue to pollute the environment through careless dumping of waste. Environmental activists are calling on the government to formalize the initiative into law if it is to effectively hold citizens accountable for their role in protecting and managing the country’s environment.
