Pader leaders raise concern over poor turnout for national cleaning day

31 August 2026, 10:55 am

Pader district leaders have raised concern over the low participation of residents in the National Cleaning Day exercise, calling for a change in attitude towards cleanliness and greater community responsibility for sanitation.

The concerns were raised during the latest cleaning exercise in Pader, where local leaders, government officials, security personnel, businesses, the media and community members participated in cleaning public spaces within Pader Town Council.

Pader Town Council District Councillor Walter Raleigh Okello said he was disappointed by the low number of residents who turned up for the exercise despite the involvement of different stakeholders.

Okello said it was concerning to see government institutions, security agencies, the media and some members of the business community actively participating while many residents remained absent.

He said National Cleaning Day is a government initiative intended to improve sanitation and prevent disease outbreaks, urging residents to take the programme seriously.

Okello also warned that poor sanitation in homes and public places could contribute to disease outbreaks.

He called on local leaders to improve mobilisation ahead of future cleaning exercises so that more residents participate.

The Pader District Community Development Officer, Festo Okidi, also condemned poor sanitation practices among some households, saying garbage can still be found around homes, toilets, bathrooms and other areas despite the ongoing cleaning campaigns.

Okidi said the district had received instructions from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to mobilise communities across the sub-counties to participate in the National Cleaning Day.

He said this is the second round of the exercise and urged residents to develop a positive attitude towards cleanliness rather than waiting for government-organised cleaning days.

He commended local leaders and community members who voluntarily participated, saying cleanliness should become a regular practice.

Representing the District Health Officer’s office, Dominic Okidi said sanitation should begin with individuals and their homes.

He argued that people who want to become leaders should demonstrate responsibility by maintaining clean surroundings and setting an example for others.

Dominic said the low participation by some residents was a concern, urging communities to understand that maintaining a clean environment is primarily in their own interest.

He said communities have the capacity to transform themselves if residents work collectively and take sanitation seriously.

Meanwhile, Kabatai Joy from Pader Child Development Centre and Victory Outreach Church said children were deliberately brought to participate in the exercise to help them develop a culture of cleanliness from an early age.

Kabatai said the centre, a Compassion International-supported project, participated in the exercise as part of its responsibility as a Ugandan community organisation.

She said involving children in such activities can help them understand that keeping the environment clean should be part of their daily lives.

Kabatai encouraged residents to practise cleanliness beyond the National Cleaning Day by keeping their homes, workplaces and immediate surroundings clean.

She said the responsibility for a clean environment should not be left to government alone, reminding residents that cleanliness should begin at home.

Pader Resident District Commissioner Amos Assimwe Bangy commended residents, the media, security personnel and businesses that participated in the exercise.

He particularly appreciated businesses that joined the activity and encouraged more stakeholders to participate in future exercises.

The RDC called on residents and local leaders to turn up in larger numbers for subsequent monthly cleaning exercises and extend the campaign to individual homes and other areas outside the main town.

The leaders’ concerns come amid efforts to encourage communities to take greater responsibility for sanitation, with officials warning that government-led cleaning exercises can only succeed when residents actively participate.

The leaders have therefore urged residents to treat cleanliness not as a one-day government activity, but as a daily responsibility beginning at household level.

The participation of private companies such as Pepsi and DFCU Bank, alongside government institutions and local leaders, demonstrated the potential for different stakeholders to work together on community sanitation.

The leaders, however, said the long-term success of the campaign will depend on residents taking personal responsibility for cleanliness and making sanitation part of their everyday lives.