Kiryandongo Residents Join National Cleaning Day Exercise

KIRYANDONGO: Residents of Kigumba Town Council in Kiryandongo District on Saturday turned out in large numbers to participate in the National Cleaning Day exercise, cleaning streets, vending areas and other public spaces.

The exercise, led by Kiryandongo District Woman Member of Parliament Jovia Katusiime, brought together residents and local leaders in an effort to improve sanitation and promote a cleaner and healthier environment.

Residents cleaned up garbage and other waste that had accumulated along streets and in areas where vendors operate, highlighting the need for regular community action to keep public spaces clean.

Katusiime commended the residents for their strong participation, saying maintaining cleanliness should not be treated as an activity reserved for designated cleaning days.

She urged residents to make sanitation a daily responsibility by regularly cleaning their homes, business premises and neighbourhoods.

“We should not wait for the National Cleaning Day to clean our communities. Let us ensure that our neighbourhoods are always clean to prevent diseases associated with poor sanitation,” Katusiime said.

She also encouraged traders and other business operators to properly manage waste generated from their activities and avoid dumping rubbish in drainage channels, streets and other public spaces.

The National Cleaning Day initiative is intended to mobilise communities across Uganda to collectively address poor sanitation, improve waste management and create cleaner and healthier communities.

Poor waste disposal can block drainage systems, create breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects and contribute to the spread of sanitation-related diseases, particularly in densely populated trading centres.

In Kigumba, the exercise also provided an opportunity for residents and leaders to raise awareness about the importance of taking collective responsibility for the cleanliness of their surroundings.

Local leaders called for the spirit demonstrated during the exercise to be sustained beyond the designated cleaning day, with residents encouraged to incorporate routine cleaning and proper waste disposal into their daily activities.