Blogs
From keep Hoima clean to national policy, a dream fulfilled
Today I am deeply grateful to His Excellency President Yoweri Museveni and Cabinet for transforming this vision into a national policy by directing all citizens, including government institutions and the public sector, to participate in community cleaning every last Saturday of the month.
Atugonza Francis. (Courtesy)
By: Admin ., Journalist @New Vision
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OPINION
By Atugonza Francis
I was honoured to join the residents of Hoima City in the National Cleaning Exercise. As I participated alongside fellow citizens, I reflected with great satisfaction that an idea I started in 2006 while I served as the Mayor of Hoima, code-named Keep Hoima Clean, has, twenty years later, become a national government policy.
Although the Keep Hoima Clean campaign received overwhelming public support, the first three months were politically sabotaged by a few self-seekers who feared that the success of the initiative would enhance my political profile.
Despite these challenges, we remained committed because our goal was never political gain, but to improve public health, restore order, and create a clean, attractive town.
During my first ninety days in office, I mobilised key government stakeholders and government leaders to champion the campaign. These included the Hon. Minister John Nasasira and Mr Katamunanwire, Commissioner, Local Government Administration; the Chairman of Hoima District Local Government, Hon. George Bagonza Tinkamanyire; the Resident District Commissioner, Hoima, Major Matha Asiimwe; the late SSP Peter Engwau, OC CID Kanonko and a member of Town Council where I served with Hon. Mary Grace, Mrs Mugasa, as a member of the executive in charge of education and social welfare and many other government officials and civil society organisations who wholeheartedly embraced the initiatives.
The business community also played an invaluable role by providing Tipper lorries, fuel, lubricants, tools and other logistical support. I particularly thank the late Haji Sewali of Nsamo Brothers, Mr Francis Kabagambe of Kabagambe Petrol Stations, Mr Baleke Timothy, a prominent business man Hoima and the Abasibensi (community) activists group, schools and religious leaders for the support, particularly retired Bishop Nathan Kyamywa and the late Bishop Deogratious, Bishops of Bunyoro Kitara Diocese and Hoima Diocese mobilized Church founded schools who contributed manpower, brooms, rakes and other essential materials that made the campaign a success.
One of the major achievements of the campaign was restoring trade order and sanitation in Hoima town, Illegal road side markets, including parts of Hoima hardware market, taxi park papyrus restaurants and makeshift barber shops that had occupied the main street in the central business district were removed and traders started to unite and rent a single room for the same business like NAVIKA barbers, Karungi Restaurant who used to sell food in the taxi Park in papyrus restaurant shifted to Bunyoro Kitara Diocese Building where she has grown into HOTEL near Link bus terminal offering standard services to residents.
Drinking bars that had been established in road reserves and drainage channels, where people consumed alcohol from early morning, were removed, and night clubs were established. This restored cleanliness, improved public health, and brought dignity to the town and set the foundation of Hoima City now.
The town clerk, Dr Kiiza Alfred Amooti, together with the department of health headed by Mr Felix Mugano, the planning department headed by Mr Muhumuza Georfry and the engineering department worked tirelessly to remove shipping containers and illegal structures that had been placed in sanitary lanes and in front of Hoima Central Market and around Hoima Public Primary School. Their dedication greatly improved sanitation and urban planning.
Every cleaning exercise ended with a public address involving the RDC, LC5 chairman, DISO, DPC, Town Clerk and Local Council 1 and 2 leaders. These engagements encouraged community ownership of the campaign and strengthened cooperation between government and the people.
The business community also played an invaluable role by providing Tipper lorries, fuel, lubricants, tools and other logistical support. I particularly thank the late Haji Sewali of Nsamo Brothers, Mr Francis Kabagambe of Kabagambe Petrol Stations, Mr Baleke Timothy, a prominent business man Hoima and the Abasibensi (community) activists group, schools and religious leaders for the support, particularly retired Bishop Nathan Kyamywa and the late Bishop Deogratious, Bishops of Bunyoro Kitara Diocese and Hoima Diocese mobilized Church founded schools who contributed manpower, brooms, rakes and other essential materials that made the campaign a success.
One of the major achievements of the campaign was restoring trade order and sanitation in Hoima town, Illegal road side markets, including parts of Hoima hardware market, taxi park papyrus restaurants and makeshift barber shops that had occupied the main street in the central business district were removed and traders started to unite and rent a single room for the same business like NAVIKA barbers, Karungi Restaurant who used to sell food in the taxi Park in papyrus restaurant shifted to Bunyoro Kitara Diocese Building where she has grown into HOTEL near Link bus terminal offering standard services to residents.
Drinking bars that had been established in road reserves and drainage channels, where people consumed alcohol from early morning, were removed, and night clubs were established. This restored cleanliness, improved public health, and brought dignity to the town and set the foundation of Hoima City now.
The town clerk, Dr Kiiza Alfred Amooti, together with the department of health headed by Mr Felix Mugano, the planning department headed by Mr Muhumuza Georfry and the engineering department worked tirelessly to remove shipping containers and illegal structures that had been placed in sanitary lanes and in front of Hoima Central Market and around Hoima Public Primary School. Their dedication greatly improved sanitation and urban planning.
Every cleaning exercise ended with a public address involving the RDC, LC5 chairman, DISO, DPC, Town Clerk and Local Council 1 and 2 leaders. These engagements encouraged community ownership of the campaign and strengthened cooperation between government and the people.
Unfortunately, some politicians viewed the campaign through a political lens. Instead of supporting an initiative that benefited everyone, they thought to undermine it because they believed it was increasing and strengthening me as an individual. They even influenced senior leaders in both Local Government and central Government and the police to sabotage the otherwise good initiative; ironically, those same people, after my exit from politics, later praised Hoima as a model for trade order and cleanliness and wanted to reestablish it but failed. Hoima today would be the city to benchmark on in trade order and cleanness if we had not mixed development and politics.
Today I am deeply grateful to His Excellency President Yoweri Museveni and Cabinet for transforming this vision into a national policy by directing all citizens, including government institutions and the public sector, to participate in community cleaning every last Saturday of the month. This demonstrates that good ideas, when pursued with commitment and patriotism, can eventually become national programs that benefit all citizens. Thank you, Your Excellency, the Vice President, Maj. Jessica Alupo and Rt Hon. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja for spearheading the national exercise.
As we move forward, I encourage Ugandans not to wait to be compelled by law enforcement before cleaning their surroundings. Maintaining clean homes, workplaces, schools, hospitals, markets and public places is our shared responsibility.
A clean environment prevents diseases, promotes public health, enhances productivity and improves the quality of life for everyone. No one should politicise a policy whose sole objective is to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our people.
A clean and healthy Uganda will nurture healthy minds, stronger communities, and a more prosperous nation. Let us all embrace cleanness not because we are forced to, but because it is the hallmark of responsible citizenship.
The writer is Special Presidential Assistant – Mobilisation, Office of the President
Email. Atugon4zafrancis@gmail.com
Today I am deeply grateful to His Excellency President Yoweri Museveni and Cabinet for transforming this vision into a national policy by directing all citizens, including government institutions and the public sector, to participate in community cleaning every last Saturday of the month. This demonstrates that good ideas, when pursued with commitment and patriotism, can eventually become national programs that benefit all citizens. Thank you, Your Excellency, the Vice President, Maj. Jessica Alupo and Rt Hon. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja for spearheading the national exercise.
As we move forward, I encourage Ugandans not to wait to be compelled by law enforcement before cleaning their surroundings. Maintaining clean homes, workplaces, schools, hospitals, markets and public places is our shared responsibility.
A clean environment prevents diseases, promotes public health, enhances productivity and improves the quality of life for everyone. No one should politicise a policy whose sole objective is to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our people.
A clean and healthy Uganda will nurture healthy minds, stronger communities, and a more prosperous nation. Let us all embrace cleanness not because we are forced to, but because it is the hallmark of responsible citizenship.
The writer is Special Presidential Assistant – Mobilisation, Office of the President
Email. Atugon4zafrancis@gmail.com