The Ministry of Health says inadequate equipment, waste disposal systems and funding threaten Uganda’s monthly National Cleaning Days, warning that sanitation gains will remain temporary without sustained investment.
Uganda’s monthly National Cleaning Days risk failing to deliver lasting improvements in sanitation without dedicated government funding, stronger waste management systems and sustained public participation, the Ministry of Health has warned.
Cate Namyalo, a senior environment officer at the ministry, said the initiative had raised public awareness of sanitation-related diseases and encouraged collaboration among government agencies, communities and private sector players, but significant implementation gaps remained.
Speaking during a reflection workshop on the programme, Namyalo said local governments lacked adequate cleaning equipment, protective gear and the capacity to transport and safely dispose of collected waste, limiting their ability to sustain the exercises.
“We need to establish standardised reporting and verify results from participating local governments,” Namyalo said, noting that some authorities were submitting reports late while others were not reporting at all.
She said the government needed clear indicators to measure public participation, the volume of waste collected, institutions involved and sanitation hotspots addressed during each exercise.
Namyalo called for monthly cleaning activities to be incorporated into the work plans and budgets of ministries, departments, agencies and local governments, arguing that the programme could not depend indefinitely on voluntary contributions.
She also urged authorities to strengthen partnerships with private waste collectors, civil society organisations and development partners to improve waste collection, transportation, recycling and safe disposal.
The officer warned that cleaning exercises would have only temporary results if collected rubbish was not promptly transported to appropriate disposal sites.
“We clean, the places are clean, the streets are clean, but then after, you drive like for one kilometre, you'll find a heap of waste all over there,” she said, calling for functional waste management systems to sustain the gains.
Namyalo urged local councils to mobilise residents, assign responsibilities within communities and coordinate cleaning activities beyond designated national cleaning days.
She said political leaders’ participation was important but needed to translate into lasting behavioural change among households.
The ministry also called for sustained radio and television campaigns to promote sanitation nationwide, emphasising that cleanliness should become a daily practice rather than a once-a-month activity.
Namyalo said stronger coordination among the Ministry of Health, the Office of the Prime Minister and local governments would be critical to monitoring progress and addressing implementation challenges.