Businesses across Ntungamo district were seen closed during morning hours on Saturday starting from 7:00pm to 10:00am as the district officials, business community and local residents in partnership with non-governmental organizations in a bid to implement government’s newly launched monthly National cleaning days in Uganda.
The launch event that saw many people from different departments and business entities was launched in Rubaare town council Rushenyi county-Ntungamo district with may participating and embracing the national cleaning initiative a directive from the government.
According to the Ntungamo resident district commissioner Ms Miriam Kagaiga Mugisha who presided over the launch of the initiative started with rallying all Ntungamo dwellers to embrace the initiative from the president of Uganda whom she represent in Ntungamo, noting that the move will help the people of Ntungamo to stay healthier that will prevent them from spending on preventable diseases like Malaria, cholera among others.
Mr Fedelis Kiiza, Chief Administrative officer Ntungamo district, urged the people of Ntungamo to be part of the initiative, stressing that it can help Ntungamo district and the country at large to reduce the burden of preventable disease that are linked to poor hygiene and waste management. He added that preventable diseases; like dysentery, Malaria, cholera, among others have been a threat to the lives of Ugandans, stressing that 75% are culprits of the diseases due to poor hygiene and waste management in Ntungamo district.
Mr Amon Bahati the district health officer who was among the ring leaders of the monthly national cleaning initiative, tasked the locals to keep their areas of residence too clean to smarsh the bleeding areas of vectors like mosquitoes, flies that are the key transmitter of the preventable diseases that are threat to People’s lives. He noted that a person can contract polio a communicable disease when someone suffering from polio defecates in an open space and flies visit that place later steps on someones food and that person take it can contract the polio disease, therefore urged total bush clearing and avoid total open defication around their homes.
Ntungamo governor Samuel Mucunguzi Rwakigoba hailed the president of Uganda His Excellence Yoweri Museveni for the initiative which he thinks has been missing out among the government programs intended to uplift Ugandans from poverty, stressing that giving people PDM funds and money from other programs couldn’t yield anything when are suffering from diseases out of poor hygiene but now the initiative of monthly national cleaning will help people to live in good hygiene and use the funds to the intended purpose that some could use the money for treatment.
However, as he rallied the Ntungamo people to implement the initiative daily in their respective families to curb all preventable diseases to live healthier for better lives, adding that by laws will be drafted to maintain the move.
The initiative that attracted Ntungamo district officials, Rubaare town council officials and locals was approved by Cabinet under Minute No. 246 of 2025 during a meeting chaired by President Yoweri Museveni in Entebbe on August 11, 2025.
