The government has unveiled sweeping implementation guidelines that require all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), local governments, institutions and citizens to participate in monthly National Cleaning Days, with compliance now set to influence the performance assessment of senior public officials.
The National Cleaning Days (NACDs) initiative, approved by Cabinet in August 2025, designates the last Saturday of every month from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. as a nationwide community cleaning exercise aimed at improving sanitation, reducing disease outbreaks and promoting environmental stewardship.
Under the implementation guidelines, the programme officially commenced on July 1, 2026, with the first nationwide exercise held on July 25, and all government institutions were directed to begin implementation immediately without waiting for the official launch.
The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) will provide overall policy oversight and coordinate implementation across government, while the Ministry of Health will serve as the technical lead responsible for sanitation guidance, monitoring and reporting.
Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Resident City Commissioners (RCCs), Assistant RDCs, Assistant RCCs and Government Internal Security Officers have been assigned to mobilise communities, monitor compliance and report implementation at the local level.
The guidelines require every ministry and local government to appoint a National Cleaning Days focal person, mobilise staff and communities, integrate cleaning activities into annual work plans and budgets, and submit periodic reports to the Office of the Prime Minister with copies to the Ministry of Health.
Districts, cities, municipalities, sub-counties, parishes and villages have also been directed to establish committees to coordinate the initiative using existing political and administrative structures.
Urban authorities have been tasked with identifying and cleaning priority areas including markets, drainage channels, roads, transport hubs, public spaces and informal settlements, while ensuring waste is collected, transported and safely disposed of.
Schools, health facilities, prisons, tourism sites, religious institutions and markets are expected to actively participate in the monthly exercise as part of a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
The initiative seeks to improve waste management, strengthen community ownership of sanitation, promote hygiene, reduce environmental degradation and lower the burden of sanitation-related diseases across the country.
Government says implementation will not receive additional funding during the 2026/2027 financial year. Instead, MDAs and local governments are expected to reprioritise existing budgets and mainstream cleaning activities into their annual plans.
Funding will therefore come from existing government allocations, local government budgets, development partners, private sector contributions and voluntary community participation.
To ensure accountability, institutions will be required to submit monthly reports within ten working days after every National Cleaning Day, accompanied by before-and-after photographs documenting the exercise.
The Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health will conduct regular monitoring to assess participation levels, waste collected, sanitation improvements and trends in hygiene-related diseases.
In a move likely to put pressure on accounting officers, implementation of National Cleaning Days will form part of the performance assessment of Permanent Secretaries, Chief Administrative Officers, Town Clerks and heads of government institutions.
Government also plans to introduce annual awards recognising the best-performing ministries, districts, cities, institutions, communities and individuals championing environmental cleanliness.
The guidelines emphasise that long-term success will depend on integrating the initiative into government planning systems, strengthening community ownership and leveraging existing structures such as the Parish Development Model, Local Councils and Village Health Teams.
The government says every Ugandan has a shared responsibility to participate in the monthly cleaning exercise, describing the initiative as a critical step toward building a cleaner, healthier and more productive country.