National cleanliness starts with individual responsibility says Archbishop Kaziimba
Kaziimba also urged the public to plant trees, protect the environment and be one another’s keepers in promoting responsible environmental stewardship.
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Kaziimba, addressing residents of Kumi in a cleaning exercise at Odero Market along the Kumi–Soroti Highway on Saturday, August 29, 2026. (Courtesy photo)
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The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Kaziimba, has called on Ugandans to embrace the national cleaning exercise and make cleanliness a personal responsibility in order to promote healthy communities and protect the environment.
Archbishop Kaziimba made the call on Saturday, August 29, 2026, while joining residents of Kumi in cleaning exercise at Odero Market along the Kumi–Soroti Highway.
“Cleaning should go beyond picking kaveera (plastic waste) and rubbish. It should extend to our bodies and what we store in our minds. Even marriages are breaking down because each person is accusing the other of being dirty,” Kaziimba said.
Kaziimba also urged the public to plant trees, protect the environment and be one another’s keepers in promoting responsible environmental stewardship.
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Kaziimba, joins residents of Kumi in a cleaning exercise at Odero Market along the Kumi–Soroti Highway on Saturday, August 29, 2026. (Courtesy photo)
The Archbishop was joined by the Bishop of Kumi Diocese, Rt Rev. Michael Okwii Esakan; the Kumi deputy Resident District Commissioner, James Small Chemutai; the director of Kumi Orthopaedic Hospital and a member of the board of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Dr John Ekure; and the President of the Lions Club of Kumi, Canon Barbara Alungat, among other leaders and the local community.
This follows the inaugural exercise held in Kisenyi, Kampala, in July 2026. The programme was introduced as a monthly national campaign aimed at improving sanitation, waste management and public health.
Cabinet approved the National Cleaning Day programme in August 2025, with the exercise scheduled for every last Saturday of the month from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The government has said the initiative is intended to create a sustained culture of cleanliness rather than rely solely on government agencies to manage waste.
The exercise is also backed by movement restrictions during the designated three-hour period, with police allowing exemptions for essential services and specified categories of people, including those seeking medical attention, emergency workers, security personnel, diplomats, tourists and people travelling to or from international terminals.