Cleaning Day: Government urges Ugandans to donate unwanted house items

The government has urged Ugandans to use the National Cleaning Day to clear unwanted items from their homes and donate those that remain usable to people who need them.

Third Deputy Prime Minister Rukia Nakadama made the call during the launch of the second National Cleaning Day in Kyaliwajjala, Kira Municipality, on Saturday, August 29, 2026.

Vice President Jessica Alupo and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja attended the exercise alongside other government officials and local leaders.

Nakadama said cleaning should go beyond roads, markets and other public spaces. She said households often keep items they no longer use, which eventually contribute to clutter and poor hygiene.

“While we clean around ourselves, in our homes we have things that we don’t look at which actually bring us uncleanliness. Those are things we do not need,” Nakadama said.

“After cleaning roads and markets and everything else, when you get back home, look around for things you do not need in the house,” she said.

Nakadama encouraged people to take usable unwanted items to nearby churches or mosques, where they could be passed on to people in need.

“Anything you feel you do not need or is no longer useful to you, if it is still usable, take it to the nearby mosque or church, there are people who need it,” she said.

“If it is a piece of cloth or a saucepan or anything else that you don’t want; give it away.”

She also cautioned against hoarding.

“We often hoard all these items in our homes, you find some people have heaps and heaps of unwanted items; these bring us dirtiness. Let us donate them and if they are too old or broken, let's trash them,” she said.

The government introduced the National Cleaning Day as part of efforts to improve sanitation and waste management across the country. The exercise brings together government agencies, local authorities, businesses and residents to clean roads, markets, drainage channels and other public spaces.

The second exercise took place between 7am and 10am on Saturday. The government restricted movement during the three-hour period to encourage the public to participate.

Authorities exempted essential and emergency services, patients travelling for treatment, cross-border buses and other authorised travellers from the restrictions.

The exercise follows the inaugural National Cleaning Day on June 28, 2026. The government has since pushed for the campaign to become a regular part of efforts to tackle poor waste disposal.

Kampala and surrounding urban areas continue to struggle with garbage collection, blocked drainage channels and littering. Rapid population growth has increased pressure on existing waste management systems.

During Saturday's event, Nabbanja donated a tuk-tuk to Kira Municipality to help transport garbage collected during cleaning exercises.

Government officials also urged Ugandans to treat cleanliness as an everyday responsibility rather than wait for national exercises.