Red Cross, Alur Kingdom Join National Cleaning Day in Zombo

Zombo: A team from the Uganda Red Cross Society Zombo Link under the Nebbi Branch, in partnership with the Alur Kingdom, has joined residents in Zombo District to mark the National Cleaning Day.

The exercise, held on Saturday, August 29, 2026, focused on improving public health, sanitation and environmental cleanliness in the community.

The team cleaned Paidha Health Centre III and surrounding areas as part of efforts to promote proper waste management and a healthy environment.

The national cleaning programme is being conducted under the theme “A Clean Uganda is Everybody’s Responsibility.”

Chief Francis Omwon Denis, Ringu Lango II of Kal Awora Chiefdom and Chief Executive Officer of the Alur Cultural Festival, commended the government for introducing the monthly cleaning initiative.

He said the Uganda Red Cross Society and Alur Cultural Festival would continue supporting the programme.

“We shall be doing this monthly to support the government initiative to make sure this country is clean,” Chief Omwon said.

He also urged members of the public to embrace the exercise and make community cleanliness a continuous responsibility rather than waiting for the designated cleaning day.

Erickson Kumakech, the focal point person for the Uganda Red Cross Society Zombo Link under the Nebbi Branch, said Paidha Health Centre III and other public spaces were targeted during the exercise.

Kumakech urged residents to make cleanliness a daily routine to prevent sanitation-related diseases.

“We should not be waiting for government to tell us to clean our surroundings. Let’s make our place ever clean wherever we are to shield us from diseases,” Kumakech said.

The three-hour exercise involved sweeping roads and public spaces, collecting and disposing of garbage, clearing drainage channels and removing plastic waste.

Community members across Zombo District turned up in large numbers, with different groups taking part in cleaning activities in Paidha and surrounding areas.

A team from Karibuni Technical School in Paidha, located in Ovuru Yindi Cell and led by Evalyne Kwiocwiny, cleaned different parts of the town and encouraged residents to join the sanitation drive.

Team Topista Acamfua, led by Proscovia Ayomirwoth, also mobilised residents to clean their respective localities.

Arsenal football club supporters from Paidha Town Council, led by chairperson Alfred Susu and mobiliser Robert Orombi, cleaned the Paidha Health Centre III mortuary and its surroundings.

The group leaders called on Arsenal supporters across the region to continue participating in community sanitation activities.

The National Cleaning Day programme was approved by Cabinet in 2025 under Cabinet Minute No. 246 (CT 2025), following nearly a year of planning.

It was officially launched on July 25, 2026, at Kiti Zone in Kisenyi III Parish, Kampala Central Division.

Under the programme, the last Saturday of every month has been designated National Cleaning Day, with the exercise running from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

The government says poor sanitation contributes to preventable diseases, including cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea and malaria. The programme also seeks to address indiscriminate waste disposal, plastic pollution, blocked drainage channels, flooding and environmental degradation.

President Yoweri Museveni has urged Ugandans to regard sanitation and hygiene as an investment in public health and to take personal responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean.

The programme is being spearheaded by the Government of Uganda, with the Office of the Prime Minister, relevant ministries, government agencies and local authorities coordinating its implementation.

A team from Uganda Red Cross society Zombo Link cleans Paidha health center III

Do you have an advertisement or article you want to publish? Mail us at theugreports@gmail.com or WhatsApp +256757022363.