KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda will slow down for three hours on Saturday as police restrict movement nationwide, giving communities time to swap busy roads for brooms, rubbish bags and cleaning tools.
The Uganda Police Force says 29 August 2026 will be National Cleaning Day, with the public expected to clean homes, neighbourhoods, workplaces and public spaces as part of a campaign to promote a cleaner, healthier and safer environment.
Speaking to journalists at the weekly joint security briefing at Police Headquarters in Naguru, Nakawa Division, Kampala, police spokesperson, Rusoke Kituuma urged the public to observe the restrictions and take part in the exercise.
Under the directive, the movement of vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and vessels will be restricted across the country from 7am to 10am.
Police said people should remain within their localities during the three-hour exercise and resume normal activities after 10am.
Who can still move?
The restrictions will not apply to everyone.
Police have listed several categories that will be allowed to travel, including patients travelling for scheduled medical treatment, provided they have relevant medical documents; emergency service vehicles; medical workers on duty; security personnel and private security guards on duty.
People travelling abroad will also be permitted to move if they can provide proof of travel.
Foreign tourists, journalists on official duty and vehicles crossing Uganda through designated major transport corridors are also exempted.
Police have urged the public to cooperate with officers enforcing the restrictions and avoid confrontations.
National Cleaning Day is part of a government effort to make sanitation a regular community activity, with Ugandans being encouraged to take responsibility for the cleanliness of their surroundings.
The initiative also revives memories of an earlier national cleaning campaign. In 1973, then-President Idi Amin launched a “Keep Uganda Clean” campaign, during which businesses and government offices were temporarily closed to allow people to clean public areas.
The current campaign is being presented as a public-health and environmental initiative, bringing together communities, institutions and local authorities.
For three hours on Saturday, Uganda’s usually hectic streets are therefore expected to take a breather.
