Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Balimwezo has raised concerns over Uganda’s National Cleaning Day exercise, warning that the programme could face serious waste management challenges due to what he described as inadequate preparation by authorities.
The nationwide cleaning exercise, introduced by the government, was aimed at improving sanitation, promoting environmental cleanliness and reducing health risks caused by poor waste disposal. However, Balimwezo questioned whether the country had put in place enough systems to handle the waste expected to be collected.
Speaking about the exercise, Balimwezo said that although the idea of cleaning communities was important, proper planning, consultation and preparation should have come before implementation.
The Lord Mayor explained that cleaning cities and communities involves more than simply collecting rubbish, saying authorities must also think about transportation, disposal sites and long-term waste management strategies.
“This idea of cleaning initially came from us, but we had hoped it would be people-led. We thought of holding a stakeholders’ engagement where everyone would contribute ideas and discuss how the initiative should be implemented,” Balimwezo said.
He argued that a national programme of such magnitude requires a clear work plan involving local leaders, communities and technical experts rather than being rolled out without enough preparation.
Balimwezo questioned how authorities planned to manage the large amounts of garbage that would be collected from different parts of the country during the exercise.
“How will you clean up the entire nation when you don’t even have trucks to carry away the collected garbage? In some places, we don’t even have where to put this garbage,” he said.
According to the Kampala Lord Mayor, waste collection remains one of the biggest challenges facing many urban areas in Uganda, with existing facilities already struggling to manage daily waste production.
He pointed out that Kampala alone produces thousands of tonnes of garbage every day, yet the available capacity to collect and dispose of that waste remains limited.
Balimwezo said that Kampala generates about 3,200 tonnes of garbage daily but only manages to collect a fraction of that amount, leaving large volumes of waste either uncollected, burned or improperly disposed of.
He warned that the National Cleaning Day could unintentionally create another problem if thousands of people collect waste but there are no immediate arrangements to transport and dispose of it.
“Now people are going to collect even much more garbage and place it along the roads. What happens if it rains? We should have prepared better. We were not ready,” he cautioned.
The Lord Mayor used Wakiso District as an example, saying some areas outside Kampala face additional difficulties because they lack proper dumping facilities and often depend on Kampala’s waste management infrastructure.
He explained that waste management requires cooperation between different districts because garbage does not respect administrative boundaries.
Balimwezo also stressed that sanitation campaigns should involve citizens through awareness and participation rather than relying only on directives from authorities.
He said communities are more likely to embrace cleaning initiatives when they understand the purpose, participate in decision-making and have confidence that collected waste will be properly handled.
While criticizing the preparation of the exercise, Balimwezo acknowledged that keeping Uganda clean is a necessary goal that requires collective effort from government, local authorities and citizens.
He said the challenge was not the idea of cleaning itself but the planning and resources required to make such an exercise successful.
The comments come as different stakeholders continue debating the effectiveness of the National Cleaning Day programme, with some praising it as a step toward improving sanitation while others questioning its implementation.
Supporters of the initiative argue that regular community cleaning can improve public health, reduce pollution and encourage citizens to take responsibility for their surroundings.
However, critics insist that cleaning exercises must be supported by permanent waste management systems, including enough trucks, disposal sites and enforcement mechanisms.
As Uganda continues with efforts to improve sanitation, Balimwezo’s concerns highlight the wider challenge of turning short-term cleaning campaigns into sustainable waste management solutions that can serve communities throughout the year.
