Kamuli, Uganda: Kamuli Municipality Mayor Fred Balinango has launched the “Keep Kamuli Clean” campaign, a community-driven sanitation initiative aimed at improving public health, promoting environmental conservation, and reducing the burden of diseases associated with poor hygiene and waste management.
The campaign was officially launched on Friday with a municipality-wide clean-up exercise that brought together municipal leaders, schools, government institutions, traders and residents to clean streets, drainage channels and public spaces across Kamuli town.
Speaking during the launch, Mayor Balinango said maintaining a clean environment is critical to safeguarding public health and creating a more attractive municipality for residents, businesses and visitors.
“We want people to live in a healthy environment. Cleanliness will help us fight non-communicable diseases and reduce illnesses caused by poor waste management,” Balinango said.
He called upon residents to take personal responsibility for maintaining cleanliness in their homes, workplaces and surrounding communities rather than relying solely on municipal authorities.
The mayor also encouraged shop owners, market vendors and businesses to install dustbins outside their premises as part of efforts to curb indiscriminate littering within the central business district.
As part of the campaign, Balinango led a tree-planting exercise at Kamuli Township Primary School and other selected locations within the municipality, saying increasing green spaces would improve air quality, enhance the town’s beauty and contribute to environmental conservation.
The clean-up exercise attracted participation from several schools and institutions, with students and teachers collecting litter, sweeping streets and clearing blocked drainage channels in different parts of the municipality.
Speaking on behalf of participating schools, Kamuli Township Primary School Headteacher John Benge welcomed the initiative, saying involving learners in community sanitation would nurture responsible citizens.
“We welcome the Mayor’s idea. Teaching children cleanliness at school and involving them in community work will build a culture of keeping Kamuli clean for the future,” Benge said.
Kamuli Municipality Principal Health Officer Robert Kunya said environmental cleanliness remains one of the most effective and affordable ways of preventing disease outbreaks.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to live in a healthy environment. When we keep our surroundings clean, we prevent diseases and protect our children,” Kunya said.
Health experts have consistently linked poor sanitation to outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, dysentery and other communicable diseases, while improper waste management contributes to blocked drainage systems, flooding and environmental pollution.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health and local governments have in recent years intensified campaigns promoting proper waste disposal, hand hygiene and community-led sanitation as part of broader public health interventions.
Mayor Balinango announced that the municipality will institutionalise the initiative by conducting monthly town clean-up exercises, calling on schools, market vendors, boda boda riders, religious institutions, community groups and residents to participate regularly.
He said sustained community participation would be key to transforming Kamuli into one of Uganda’s cleanest municipalities.
Participants described the launch as a timely intervention that had raised public awareness about environmental responsibility and inspired residents to embrace proper waste disposal practices.
The “Keep Kamuli Municipality Clean” campaign forms part of the municipality’s broader efforts to improve urban sanitation, promote healthy living and enhance the overall quality of life for residents.
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