Otika Leonard: Lira City to clean every last Saturday of the month.
By Okidi Patrick
LIRA CITY, UGANDA–Lira City has adopted the National Cleaning Days program and will hold community cleaning exercises on the last Saturday of every month, City Environment Officer Leonard Otika has said.
Mr Otika said the city formed a committee on 18th June 2026 to coordinate the exercise, following the national launch by H.E President Yoweri Museveni.
Speaking to TAYARI NEWS UGANDA, on Saturday Morning, after the inaugural clean-up, Mr Otika said he was impressed by the turnout of residents.
“We are very happy that the community has come up willingly to do this exercise. As a citizen we have the right to a clean and healthy environment, but we also have the responsibility to ensure that we don’t litter in places that are not acceptable,” Otika said.
The environment officer said the monthly exercise will be supported by waste management service providers, LC1 chairpersons and community leaders.
With new LC1 office bearers due to be elected on Tuesday, he said Lira City will conduct induction to help them form village cleaning committees.
“It is not just a monthly activity. It should also be a routine activity. We shall work with service providers and LC1s to ensure compliance,” he added.
Mr Otika thanked government for the national advocacy drive, noting that it has improved compliance with sanitation guidelines.
He appealed to government to provide urban authorities with equipment and tools to sustain the program.
“It has been a challenge, but when government speaks at the national level, people follow. We hope to get more support with tools so that we can sustain this for time immemorial,” Otika said.
The National Cleaning Days are part of government efforts to promote public health, environmental management and prevent disease outbreaks nationwide.
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