A person living with a disability in Lira City joined hundreds of residents in the fourth National Cleaning Day exercise, highlighting the participation of persons with disabilities in community activities aimed at improving sanitation and public health.
Jimmy Bette, a businessman and gospel musician, took to the streets alongside other residents on Saturday, October 31, as Lira City hosted the national event.
Bette’s participation was highlighted by organisers as part of the wider community effort to clean public spaces and encourage residents, regardless of their physical abilities, to contribute to keeping their surroundings clean.
The exercise brought together government officials, local leaders, security personnel, students, businesses and members of the public, who cleaned streets, markets and other public spaces.
Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi, who presided over the event, commended Lira residents for turning up in large numbers and urged Ugandans to make cleanliness a daily responsibility rather than wait for the monthly national exercise.
Government Chief Whip and Lira City Woman MP Dr Jane Ruth Aceng also thanked residents for participating, saying households should maintain the practice beyond the national campaign.
“While we hold one National Cleaning Day a month as a national event, I encourage all of us to make every day a cleaning day in our individual households so that we can have a cleaner and healthier nation,” Aceng said.
The exercise was part of the government’s monthly campaign to mobilise communities to improve sanitation and environmental cleanliness.
Activities in Lira covered areas including Lira Central Market, Juba Road, Obote Avenue and Coronation Park.
Similar activities took place in other parts of the country. In Kampala, motorists and pedestrians were encouraged to join the exercise, while security personnel and local leaders mobilised residents to participate.
In Gulu, Uganda People’s Defence Forces personnel joined local politicians and students in cleaning activities around the main market parking area.
The participation of Bette offered a visible example of how persons with disabilities can take part in community initiatives. However, the exercise also raises a broader question about whether public cleaning campaigns and other civic activities are consistently organised in ways that allow people with different disabilities to participate.
The National Cleaning Day is held monthly to promote hygiene, sanitation and collective responsibility for maintaining clean communities.
