UPDF cleans Hoima City ahead of 44th Tarehe Sita anniversary celebrations
HOIMA CITY, February 6, 2025 – Residents and leaders of Hoima City have praised the Uganda People’s Defense Forces [UPDF] for their community service in cleaning the city yesterday in preparation for the 44th Tarehe Sita anniversary celebrations being held today in Greater Masaka and Masaka City.
Soldiers from the UPDF 303 Infantry Brigade, along with personnel from the Uganda Police and the Uganda Prisons Service, carried out a cleaning exercise on Sir Tito Winyi and Madela Roads in Kiryatete West Cell, Hoima West Division, on February 5.
Hoima City leaders, including Mayor Brian Kaboyo and Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Baduru Mugabi, participated in the initiative by sweeping the streets, collecting garbage, removing plastic bottles and polyethylene bags, and clearing clogged drainage channels.
Lt. Col. Stephen Kashagama, Commander of the UPDF 303 Brigade, who led the cleaning exercise, explained that the activity was part of the many events planned to mark the 44th Tarehe Sita anniversary.
He emphasised the importance of collaborating with other security agencies and the local community to address waste management issues in Hoima City and its district. Kashagama added that the primary goal was to promote good hygiene and sanitation, as well as to foster unity between civilians and security forces.
Community reactions to the cleanup effort
John Mugisa, a resident of Hoima City, expressed his appreciation for the UPDF and the city leaders’ initiative, acknowledging the poor sanitation caused by littering in the area. However, he urged the city leaders to install dustbins as a permanent solution to promote cleanliness.
Mugisa pointed out that many residents resort to dumping garbage on the streets and in drainage channels because there are no waste disposal bins available. He also criticized the infrequent garbage collection, which sometimes takes up to a week.
“Residents have no choice but to dump garbage wherever they can because there are no dustbins, and the garbage truck can take up to a week to collect the waste,” Mugisa said.
Another resident, Guma James, called on Hoima city leaders and health sector officials to educate locals on proper waste management practices.
Mayor’s remarks on the effort
Mayor Kaboyo thanked the security agencies for their ongoing efforts in the “Keep Hoima City Clean” campaign. He noted that the city’s sanitation stands at 70% but acknowledged challenges with waste management.
“We withdrew the skips and dustbins from the streets because people misused them by dumping non-garbage materials,” Kaboyo explained.
RCC Mugabi expressed concern about the city’s littering problem, emphasizing the need for residents to take responsibility for maintaining cleanliness in their communities.
“What we found here was unacceptable,” Mugabi said. “There was a heap of garbage, and the sanitation of the area was in poor condition, putting residents at risk of diseases such as typhoid and cholera.”
The Tarehe Sita event marks the day, February 6, 1981, when a group of young men, led by Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, launched a protracted war by attacking Kabamba Barracks—an event that eventually led to the National Resistance Movement’s rise to power on January 26, 1986.
https://thecooperator.news/updf-cleans-fort-portal-city-to-mark-44th-tarehe-sita/
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