Government to Deploy More Garbage Trucks Before Next Cleaning Day

The Government Chief Whip also said authorities are working with partners to strengthen the programme and make it more effective.

Uganda will increase the number of garbage collection trucks across the country before the next National Cleaning Day as the government moves to improve waste collection and prevent garbage from piling up after community clean-up exercises.

The commitment was announced by Government Chief Whip Ruth Aceng during a plenary sitting of Parliament on Tuesday, 4 August 2026, after lawmakers raised concerns over uncollected waste that remained in many parts of Kampala following the first nationwide cleaning exercise held on 25 July.

Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Uncollected Waste

Kampala District Woman Representative Shamim Malende told Parliament that heaps of garbage were still lying along roads and in communities across Lubaga, Kawempe, Makindye, Central and Nakawa, despite residents taking part in the national campaign. She said the situation poses serious public health and environmental risks because waste has not been collected and disposed of in time.

Malende asked the government to explain the long-term measures being put in place to make sure future cleaning exercises are supported by reliable waste collection, transportation and disposal systems, especially ahead of the next campaign scheduled for Saturday, 29 August 2026.

Government Promises Better Waste Collection

Aceng admitted that the first nationwide exercise exposed weaknesses in the country's waste management capacity. She said the scale of participation made it clear that more resources were needed to handle the amount of garbage collected during the campaign.

She noted that the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) was still collecting waste from different parts of the city and assured Parliament that more garbage trucks would be deployed across Uganda before the next cleaning day to improve the response in every district.

Partnerships and Public Awareness Planned

The Government Chief Whip also said authorities are working with partners to strengthen the programme and make it more effective. She explained that wider public awareness campaigns will encourage better participation while improving coordination between communities and waste collection teams so that garbage is cleared more quickly after the exercise.

She expressed confidence that stronger planning and additional equipment would reduce the chances of waste being left in public spaces after future clean-up activities.

Monthly Exercise to Promote Cleaner Communities

Uganda's National Cleaning Day is held on the last Saturday of every month from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The initiative encourages citizens to take part in cleaning their surroundings as part of efforts to improve sanitation, reduce disease outbreaks, protect the environment and build a stronger culture of community responsibility.

The next nationwide cleaning exercise will take place on 29 August 2026, with the government expecting improved waste collection support following the deployment of additional garbage trucks.