Prime Ministe Robina Nabbanja and State Minister for environment Beatrice Anywa holding a garbage bag looking on is 3rd Deputy Prime Minister Lukia Nakadama.
By George Bukenya
The Vice President of Uganda H.E Rt. Maj. Jessica Alupo the cleaning policy that has begun today will help to reduce the disease burden and thus enhance on the house hold income if embraced in the country if embraced by all citizens.
Maj. Alupo made the remarks while launching the `National Cleaning Day’ in Kisenyi III Zone, Kisenyi parish in Kampala Central Division. She argued the general public and local leaders to embrace the initiative.
“ We have as a country two angles of fighting diseases, one being curative and the other is preventive and under the preventive way we are using immunization, nutrition, physical exercise, and sanitation and hygiene which is a reason for the launched cleaning day policy, whereas the curative involves health centers and hospitals manned by the professions,’’ H E Alupo explained.
She further argued, “ cleaning isn’t option it is rather essential and reflects a sense of responsibility and patriotism which should begin at household level and spread to communities.’’
“ Government is first trucking on how best garbage can be useful in the production of fertilizers and fuel energy for members of the community and the exercise of cleaning is a good example for us,’’ she added.
Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Nabbanja who franked the vice president at the launch said that a clean environment is a critical component which needs to be adopted not only by government but also the society at large.
Nabbanja who heads the national organizing committee also reiterated the vice president’s stance, saying that the implementation of the mandatory cleaning policy will help to improve the household income because individuals will be health and also save money for investments.
“ A clean Uganda is everybody’s responsibility if we holistically embrace it, we shall be able to change the mindset of individuals. This is a pre-requisite for development and attracting of investors, ‘’ Rt. Hon Nabbanja argued.
The Minister of Health Dr. Chris Baryomunsi who also graced the function said that about 75% of diseases suffered by Ugandans are a result of poor sanitation and hygiene therefore are preventable when individuals and society nuzzle the cleaning culture.
“ We must accept and make the National Cleaning Day a culture and we enforce it as individuals and society not only government. Everybody on every last Saturday of the months should wake up and start cleaning his or her surrounding environment for three hours without being coerced by government.’’ Dr. Baryomunsi said.
He appealed to all citizens to change their culture and become mindful of the environment such that it remains clean all the time.