Businesses to Close for Three Hours During Monthly National Cleaning Days

What the report says

Nile Post reports that businesses across Uganda will be required to close for three hours on the last Saturday of every month under a new mandatory National Cleaning Day Initiative. Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said the programme is scheduled to start on Saturday, July 25, 2026, with members of the public expected to take part in community clean-up activities from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

According to the report, the shutdown will apply broadly to businesses, private institutions, communities, local governments, and ministries, departments and agencies. Emergency and essential services, including ambulances, fire and rescue services, and security operations, will be exempt. Local Council chairpersons, parish chiefs and other local government officials have been assigned to mobilise residents and identify areas most in need of cleaning.

Nabbanja said the monthly exercise is meant to improve sanitation, lower disease risks linked to poor hygiene and waste management, and encourage shared responsibility for the environment. Nile Post reports that the initiative was approved by Cabinet under Minute No. 246 of 2025 during a meeting chaired by President Yoweri Museveni in Entebbe on August 11, 2025, and later reflected in Cabinet Circular No. 1 of 2026.

The policy comes amid persistent waste-management challenges, especially in urban areas. Citing government figures, Nile Post says Kampala produces about 2,000 to 2,500 tonnes of solid waste daily, while only 50 to 60 percent is collected and properly disposed of. Authorities say uncollected waste can clog drainage channels, worsen flooding and create conditions that support disease-causing organisms.