Da Dona
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
- 1,220
- 672
In Uganda, today, It's a mandate to clean up communities on every last Saturday of the month, the inaugural exercise happened on the 25th of July, Residents are encouraged, and in some cases compelled, to clean their communities, but the responsibility should not end once the rubbish is swept into piles. Without timely collection, the waste simply shifts from one location to another, creating new health hazards and frustrations for the very citizens who participated.
The Rubbish Question has forced Dorothy Nankya, the LC I Chairperson of Nabweru South Cell I, to dump truckloads of uncollected garbage at the Nabweru Division headquarters in protest. According to Nankya, residents left the waste near her home after participating in the recent mandatory sanitation exercise. She said repeated requests to division authorities and health officials to collect the garbage went unanswered.
Left with what she described as no other option, Nankya transported the garbage to the offices of the Town Clerk and the Division Health Inspector, arguing that those responsible for sanitation should take responsibility for the waste.
The protest unfolded in the presence of Nabweru Division Mayor Samuel Mugabi and other local leaders. While the mayor condemned the dumping of garbage at government offices, he admitted that the division has struggled to clear waste from several areas following the exercise. He appealed for patience and acknowledged that government needs a stronger and more reliable waste management system to ensure garbage collected during community clean-up campaigns is promptly removed.
Some local leaders defended Nankya's actions, saying they reflected the frustrations of many residents who feel their efforts are undermined by poor planning and delayed waste collection.
The Nabweru incident should serve as a wake-up call. A successful sanitation campaign requires more than mobilising citizens to sweep roads and public spaces. It demands proper planning, adequate trucks, designated disposal sites, and a clear schedule for collecting the waste.
If communities are expected to fulfil their civic duty by cleaning their surroundings, authorities must equally fulfil their responsibility by ensuring the collected garbage is removed without delay. Otherwise, mandatory cleaning exercises risk becoming symbolic events that leave neighbourhoods with piles of waste instead of cleaner, healthier environments.
The Rubbish Question has forced Dorothy Nankya, the LC I Chairperson of Nabweru South Cell I, to dump truckloads of uncollected garbage at the Nabweru Division headquarters in protest. According to Nankya, residents left the waste near her home after participating in the recent mandatory sanitation exercise. She said repeated requests to division authorities and health officials to collect the garbage went unanswered.
Left with what she described as no other option, Nankya transported the garbage to the offices of the Town Clerk and the Division Health Inspector, arguing that those responsible for sanitation should take responsibility for the waste.
The protest unfolded in the presence of Nabweru Division Mayor Samuel Mugabi and other local leaders. While the mayor condemned the dumping of garbage at government offices, he admitted that the division has struggled to clear waste from several areas following the exercise. He appealed for patience and acknowledged that government needs a stronger and more reliable waste management system to ensure garbage collected during community clean-up campaigns is promptly removed.
Some local leaders defended Nankya's actions, saying they reflected the frustrations of many residents who feel their efforts are undermined by poor planning and delayed waste collection.
The Nabweru incident should serve as a wake-up call. A successful sanitation campaign requires more than mobilising citizens to sweep roads and public spaces. It demands proper planning, adequate trucks, designated disposal sites, and a clear schedule for collecting the waste.
If communities are expected to fulfil their civic duty by cleaning their surroundings, authorities must equally fulfil their responsibility by ensuring the collected garbage is removed without delay. Otherwise, mandatory cleaning exercises risk becoming symbolic events that leave neighbourhoods with piles of waste instead of cleaner, healthier environments.