Nansana Municipality leaders have ordered village chairpersons to step up mobilisation of residents to participate in monthly community cleaning exercises, warning that those who remain in their homes may be forced to come out and clean.
The directive was issued during a cleaning and tree-planting exercise conducted in different parts of Nansana Municipality, where leaders expressed concern over low participation in some areas.
Nansana Resident District Commissioner Charles Lwanga blamed the poor turnout partly on village leaders, saying they had failed to adequately mobilise residents.
"Village chairpersons have not done enough to mobilise residents. In some areas, people remained in their homes instead of coming out to participate in the cleaning exercise," Lwanga said.
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At Katangawuzi Market, where the exercise was conducted, traders and other workers had started cleaning, although leaders said participation remained low.
Some residents reportedly stayed in their homes until the exercise was almost over, prompting people participating in the cleaning to stop passers-by and encourage them to join.
At one point, residents working around Katangawuzi Market stood along Hoima Road and stopped people travelling through the area, including motorists and boda boda passengers, handing them brooms and asking them to participate in the exercise.
Some people were removed from vehicles and boda bodas and asked to join the cleaning, while others were allowed to proceed.
Municipal leaders, led by Deputy Town Clerk Hadijah Ssengendo and Lwanga, also visited Katooke, Wamala and other areas as part of the exercise.
The leaders later participated in tree planting near the Wamala Tombs, urging residents to take environmental conservation seriously.
However, village chairpersons defended themselves against accusations of failing to mobilise residents, saying some people had become reluctant to participate because garbage collected during previous cleaning exercises was not properly removed.
They said some areas remained littered even after residents had taken part in cleaning, discouraging others from joining subsequent exercises.
"Residents remained in their homes because after cleaning, the garbage was not collected. In some areas, the rubbish is still there," the village chairpersons said.
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The chairpersons nevertheless promised to intensify mobilisation, warning that tougher measures would be taken during the next exercise to ensure residents comply with the government programme.
"Next month, we will bring people out of their homes by force if necessary to ensure that they participate in the government cleaning programme," they warned.
The exercise is part of efforts by Nansana Municipality to improve sanitation, promote environmental conservation and encourage residents to take responsibility for keeping their communities clean.
