Pader leaders link environmental responsibility to municipality status

29 August 2026, 13:43

By Ekel Bonny Daniel

Pader Town Council leaders have called for greater community responsibility in waste management and environmental protection, saying sustained cleanliness is essential if the town is to achieve its ambition of attaining municipality status.

The call was made on Saturday, 29 August 2026, during the National Cleaning Day exercise in Pader Town Council, where residents, local leaders, government officials and private-sector players joined efforts to improve sanitation and environmental conditions.

Pader District Councillor V Okello Walter Raleigh said residents must demonstrate greater commitment to maintaining a clean and healthy environment if they want Pader to qualify for municipal status.

Okello said it would be difficult for residents to demand municipality status while failing to participate in initiatives aimed at improving the appearance, hygiene and environmental conditions of the town.

He also linked environmental cleanliness to public health, noting that poor hygiene and unmanaged waste can create conditions that contribute to the spread of disease.

Meanwhile, Okello Titto Brilliant, the LC3 Chairperson of Pajule Town Council, urged residents to take greater responsibility for the waste they generate instead of leaving the entire burden to government authorities.

Titto said the National Environment Act places responsibility on waste generators to properly manage their waste until it is collected by authorised persons or the relevant authority.

He said continued community sensitisation is necessary because some residents still believe that cleaning public spaces is solely the responsibility of the Government.

In Pader Town Council, Oding Santo, LCI Chairperson of Lagwai Central B Cell, appealed to residents and business owners to maintain cleanliness around their homes, shops and plots.

Oding warned residents with bushy plots to clear them, saying those who fail to do so could have their plots cleared on their behalf and be required to meet the cost.

He also urged residents to stop indiscriminate dumping of rubbish, which he said undermines efforts to maintain a clean environment.

Pader Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Amos Asiimwe Banji called on Pader Town Council authorities to identify and clear areas where waste has accumulated, while urging residents to sustain the cleaning efforts beyond the monthly exercise.

Private-sector players also joined the environmental campaign, with Dfcu Bank providing cleaning equipment and participating in the exercise.

Dfcu Bank Manager Julius Ogeatum said environmental cleanliness requires collective action, urging residents, businesses, the Government and other organisations to work together to keep Pader clean.

National Cleaning Day is part of the Government’s monthly programme to promote sanitation, public health and environmental conservation across Uganda.

The exercise is held from 7.00 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. on the last Saturday of every month, with the Government urging citizens to make cleanliness a shared responsibility and sustain the practice beyond the designated cleaning day.