Written By | Joshua Nahamya
Bushenyi district officials, head teachers and pupils join to launch cleaning campaign in Bushenyi
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Bushenyi
Bushenyi District has officially launched a monthly community cleaning day in fulfillment of a government directive aimed at enforcing nationwide sanitation standards.
The initiative follows a September 2025 government gazette that declared the last Saturday of every month as National Cleanup Day. Under this mandate, all citizens are required to participate in community cleaning activities between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., during which time businesses are expected to remain closed.
The official district launch, presided over by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Bushenyi, Emmy Ngabirano, was held at Kabingo Trading Center in Kyamuhunga Sub-County. The exercise drew participation from the Deputy RDC, local community members, and school-going children.
Pupils busy collecting garbage in Kyamuhunga to keep Bushenyi clean
Restoring a Legacy of Hygiene
The Ministry of Local Government recently instructed all Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) and Town Clerks to implement the directive to curb preventable diseases and improve environmental sanitation—a model successfully utilized in neighboring countries like Rwanda.
Jafari Basajabalaba, the Bushenyi District LC V Chairman, noted that the campaign is a vital step toward reclaiming the district's historical reputation for excellence in sanitation.
“In the past, Bushenyi was renowned as a clean model district. We want to regain that lost glory through this monthly cleaning campaign,” Basajabalaba stated. While acknowledging a modest start, he remained optimistic about future participation. “Being the first time, the turnout was low, but we believe as we continue monthly, the public will get used to it, join in, and comply.”
Local community join pupils to clean Kyamuhunga Trading centre duirng the clean campaign in Bushenyi
The Voice of the Youth
The launch featured moving performances and poems from local pupils, who highlighted the devastating effects of climate change and environmental degradation. The children pointed to illegal human activities such as deforestation, charcoal burning, and wetland encroachment as the primary causes of drying water sources and the death of livestock.
The pupils challenged leaders and the public to take environmental protection seriously, citing a lack of sensitization and the presence of corruption as barriers to progress.
“All that is happening is caused by a lack of sensitization and politicians who do not prioritize the environment,” the pupils noted in their collective presentation. They rallied the district to embrace “good agricultural practices, afforestation, and the proper sorting of garbage,” while calling for an end to the excessive use of harmful agri-chemicals.
Teachers also join the cleaning campaign in Bushenyi
A Strategic Link to Health and Wealth
The campaign is being held under the theme: “Strengthening our communities to enhance household income through reduction of the catastrophic expenditure on health due to preventable causes by embracing proper sanitation and hygiene.”
Local authorities emphasized that the program, supported by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), is mandatory. Supervised by local leaders, the cleanup exercises will focus on markets, homes, and hospitals. Officials warned that enforcement measures and potential penalties will be applied to those who fail to participate in the designated four-hour window each month.
As the campaign takes root, Bushenyi leaders hope that consistent community action will not only beautify the district but also significantly reduce the local health department's expenditure on sanitation-related illnesses.
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