KAMPALA RALLIES BEHIND NO LITER DAY DRIVE AHEAD OF FESTIVAL

The heart of Kampala pulsed with energy on Wednesday morning as residents, students, leaders, and civil society groups joined hands to give the city a fresh face ahead of the Kampala City Festival.

Dubbed the “No-Litter Day,” the pre-festival activity was flagged off at City Square by the Minister for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda, together with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director, Sharifah Buzeki. Both leaders emphasized that keeping Kampala clean is a shared responsibility.

“We can keep Kampala clean by simply choosing not to litter. It is our collective duty to plan where to dispose of our waste and to manage it responsibly,” Kabanda told the enthusiastic crowd.

The clean-up and sensitization activity is part of a series of pre-festival events leading to the Kampala City Festival scheduled for October 5 at Kololo Independence Grounds under the theme; Innovation, Culture, and Sustainability.

From City Square, participants among them Miss Uganda Trivia Elle Muhoza, pupils and students from schools including Kololo High School, Bat Valley Primary, Kololo Secondary School, and Kampala High marched through some of the busiest streets of the city: Arua Park, William Street, Nakivubo Road, Shauriyako, Nabugabo, Kyaggwe Road, and Kisekka Market.

With gloves and sacks in hand, they bent to pick litter, segregate waste, and engage the public on the importance of waste sorting and responsible disposal.

In Kagugube Parish and the Kivulu I and II neighborhoods, residents joined in the activity, with Local Council leaders reminding households to practice segregation right at the source.

To spread the impact further, similar clean-up activities were replicated in all the five divisions of the city Central, Kawempe, Makindye, Nakawa, and Rubaga, each led by their respective Town Clerks. This ensured that the festival spirit of cleanliness and responsibility reached every corner of Kampala.

The drive, supported by NGOs, community-based organizations, and KCCA’s environment teams, was not just about cleaning the streets but also instilling a long-term culture of waste management.

Buzeki urged Kampala residents to carry the message beyond the festival season.

“This is not just about one day. If each of us takes personal responsibility, we can build a city where cleanliness is the norm, not an exception,” Buzeki said.

As the festival draws near, the message from City Hall is clear: a cleaner Kampala begins with every individual making the right choice about where to throw their waste.

By Geofrey Mutegeki Araali

Communication and Media Relations Officer