The Government has unveiled an ambitious nationwide sanitation programme that will require every Ugandan to participate in mandatory community cleaning exercises on the last Saturday of every month, in what officials describe as one of the country’s biggest coordinated environmental and public health campaigns.
Under the newly issued Implementation Guidelines for Rolling Out National Cleaning Days (NACDs), every last Saturday of the month between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. has been designated as National Cleaning Day, with participation expected from government ministries, local governments, schools, businesses, religious institutions, cultural leaders, civil society organisations and ordinary citizens.
The programme officially commenced on July 1, 2026, with the first nationwide cleaning exercise scheduled for Saturday, July 25, 2026, regardless of when the initiative is officially launched.
The guidelines reveal an extensive government strategy that seeks to institutionalise environmental sanitation as part of Uganda’s governance framework rather than treating it as an occasional campaign.
The initiative traces its origin to Cabinet Minute No. 246 (CT 2025) adopted during a Cabinet meeting in Entebbe on August 11, 2025. According to the document, Cabinet approved the programme to promote environmental sanitation, improve waste management, encourage hygiene practices and strengthen civic responsibility across the country.
Every Ugandan Expected to Participate
Unlike previous clean-up campaigns that largely depended on volunteers or local leaders, the new framework places responsibility on virtually every category of Ugandan.
The guidelines specifically state that all citizens are expected to participate in monthly community cleaning activities while maintaining cleanliness in their homes, workplaces and neighbourhoods.
Government says the programme adopts what it describes as a “Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society” approach, bringing together Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), local governments, cultural institutions, religious organisations, development partners, the private sector and individual citizens under one coordinated national programme.
The overall objective is to institutionalise coordinated national action on sanitation and hygiene while reducing sanitation-related diseases, improving productivity and supporting Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
Prime Minister’s Office Takes Charge
The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has been assigned overall policy oversight and strategic coordination of the initiative.
It will chair a newly established National Steering Committee, monitor implementation nationwide and submit periodic progress reports to Cabinet.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has been designated the technical lead ministry responsible for day-to-day coordination, sanitation standards, hygiene promotion and monitoring the programme’s impact on public health.
The Office of the President will provide political leadership through Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Resident City Commissioners (RCCs), Assistant RDCs, Assistant RCCs and Government Internal Security Officers (GISOs), who will mobilise communities, supervise implementation and monitor compliance across the country.
Every Ministry Gets Specific Duties
One of the most detailed aspects of the guidelines is the assignment of responsibilities to nearly every government ministry.
The Ministry of Water and Environment will oversee environmental sanitation and waste management standards while promoting sustainable waste disposal practices.
The Ministry of Local Government has been directed to ensure all local governments incorporate National Cleaning Days into their budgets and work plans, while also strengthening sanitation by-laws.
The Ministry of Education and Sports must integrate sanitation education into schools and mobilise educational institutions to participate in monthly cleaning exercises.
The Ministry of Works and Transport has been tasked with cleaning roads and drainage systems, while the Ministry of Trade will encourage recycling initiatives and private investment in waste management.
The Ministry of Gender will mobilise women, youth and vulnerable groups, while the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance has been assigned responsibility for nationwide communication and awareness campaigns.
Even the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs is expected to participate by providing logistical support where necessary and assisting in the safe handling of hazardous waste.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs will enforce sanitation laws and maintain public order during National Cleaning Days.
Local Governments Face Heavy Responsibilities
Districts, cities, municipalities, town councils and sub-counties have been given some of the biggest implementation responsibilities.
According to the guidelines, local governments must identify dirty hotspots requiring urgent attention, including markets, roads, drainage channels, transport hubs, public spaces and informal settlements.
They are also expected to provide waste collection equipment where resources permit, transport garbage to designated disposal sites, enforce sanitation by-laws, conduct public awareness campaigns and submit periodic reports to the Ministry of Health and the Office of the Prime Minister.
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has additionally been tasked with showcasing best practices in urban sanitation that can be replicated by other cities and municipalities.
MPs, Religious Leaders and Cultural Institutions Drawn In
Members of Parliament have also been assigned defined responsibilities.
The guidelines require MPs to champion the initiative in their constituencies, mobilise local communities, promote public awareness, support resource mobilisation and exercise parliamentary oversight over implementation.
Lawmakers are also expected to lead by example by participating in the monthly cleaning activities themselves.
Religious and cultural institutions have similarly been tasked with mobilising their followers, integrating cleaning activities into their programmes and promoting positive attitudes toward sanitation and environmental cleanliness.
Businesses and NGOs Expected to Contribute
The programme is not limited to government institutions.
Private companies are expected to provide equipment, logistics and technical expertise while investing in recycling and waste management technologies.
Civil society organisations have been assigned community mobilisation, advocacy and behaviour-change campaigns, while development partners are expected to provide technical assistance, financial support and innovation.
No New Government Funding
Perhaps one of the most notable aspects of the guidelines is that Government has ruled out releasing additional funding specifically for National Cleaning Days during the 2026/27 financial year.
Instead, ministries, departments, agencies and local governments have been instructed to finance the initiative by reprioritising existing budgets.
Funding will therefore come from existing government allocations, local government budgets, development partners, private sector contributions, corporate social responsibility initiatives and voluntary community participation.
Accounting Officers and Chief Administrative Officers have been directed to ensure sufficient resources are allocated within existing budget provisions to support implementation.
Strict Reporting Requirements
Government has introduced detailed monitoring and reporting requirements aimed at ensuring institutions actively implement the programme.
Every ministry and local government must collect implementation data and submit monthly reports to the Office of the Prime Minister within ten working days after every National Cleaning Day.
Quarterly reports will be prepared by the Ministry of Health before being submitted to OPM, while an annual national performance report will be presented to Cabinet.
Notably, all reports must include photographic evidence showing conditions before and after each cleaning exercise.
Monitoring will focus on citizen participation, institutional compliance, waste collected, sanitation conditions, disease trends, behavioural change and the programme’s contribution to environmental protection and public health.
Performance to Affect Government Officials
The guidelines go beyond voluntary participation by linking implementation to government performance assessments.
Performance in implementing National Cleaning Days will form part of the evaluation of Permanent Secretaries, Chief Executive Officers of public institutions, Chief Administrative Officers, Town Clerks, Sub-county Chiefs and other accounting officers.
Compliance will also be considered during government inspections, monitoring and supervision exercises.
To encourage competition, Government will establish annual awards recognising the best-performing ministries, districts, cities, institutions, community initiatives and individuals promoting environmental cleanliness.
Community Structures to Drive Sustainability
The guidelines envision the initiative becoming a permanent feature of Uganda’s governance and community development structures.
Existing community systems such as Parish Development Model structures, Local Councils, Village Health Teams, Community Development Structures and Parish Committees will be used to coordinate implementation at grassroots level.
Government says continuous public education, partnerships with religious institutions, civil society, development partners and the private sector, together with recycling and circular economy initiatives, will ensure the programme remains sustainable over the long term.
A National Behaviour Change Campaign
Beyond cleaning streets and drainage channels, the guidelines portray the initiative as a long-term behaviour change programme intended to cultivate environmental stewardship among Ugandans.
Government expects the monthly exercise to increase public awareness, strengthen civic responsibility, improve waste management, reduce sanitation-related diseases, lower household healthcare costs and ultimately contribute to national productivity and socio-economic transformation.
The document concludes by calling upon every household, institution and community to actively participate in the monthly cleaning exercises beginning July 25, 2026, arguing that the success of the initiative depends on sustained political leadership and collective action by all Ugandans.
The Government says National Cleaning Days will eventually become embedded within national planning, budgeting and performance management systems, making environmental sanitation a routine responsibility rather than an occasional campaign.
