NATIONAL CLEANING EXERCISE (UGNEWSLINE) – Jubilee Insurance Uganda Chief Executive Officer Eugine Mutekhele has warned that poor waste disposal and blocked drainage channels continue to expose Kampala residents to flooding and preventable diseases, calling for stronger community participation and corporate support in keeping the city clean.
Mutekhele said irresponsible waste disposal and failure to maintain drainage channels could worsen flooding during rainy seasons while increasing the spread of diseases such as malaria, typhoid and cholera, which disproportionately affect vulnerable communities.
He made the remarks on Saturday, October 31, 2026, during a community cleaning exercise organised by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) in partnership with Jubilee Insurance Uganda in Kampala city centre.
The exercise, which brought together Jubilee Insurance employees and KCCA officials, started at the company’s head offices on Kimathi Avenue, and moved to clean several streets, including Parliament Avenue, Kampala Road, Nasser Road, Rosebury and Dastur Street.
“Without regular cleaning, floods will clog our channels and diseases will follow like malaria, typhoid, cholera and others, which disproportionately affect poor people more,” Mutekhele said.
He urged corporate organisations to take a more active role in supporting environmental sanitation by providing cleaning equipment and mobilising their employees to participate in community cleaning activities.
Mutekhele noted that although many Ugandans are willing to contribute to keeping their communities clean, limited access to basic tools such as brushes, spades and gloves often prevents them from participating.
“We are going to reach out to other corporations to join in supporting the initiative because we know there are many people out there who would wish to take part but do not have tools like brushes, spades and gloves,” he said.
“If these corporate companies come together, we make a difference.” He added.
He emphasised that maintaining a clean environment should not be limited to designated cleaning days but should become part of people’s daily routines.
“We hope that we can develop a mindset change where cleaning becomes part of our lifestyle,” Mutekhele said.
He explained that Jubilee Insurance’s participation in the initiative is informed by the company’s commitment to disease prevention, noting that preventing illnesses through improved sanitation is preferable to treating them after they occur.
“Although we are in the business of health, we believe that preventive care is better than curative,” he said.
Shaherose Jamal, the director of Jubilee Life and Health Insurance, called on more corporate organisations to support the government’s monthly national cleaning initiative, saying private sector involvement would help expand its reach and encourage regular community participation.
She welcomed the government’s decision to dedicate one Saturday every month to community cleaning, describing the initiative as an opportunity for citizens and businesses to take responsibility for their surroundings.
“This is what good and responsible citizenship is about. This is a good initiative that the president set aside one Saturday in a month for cleaning,” Jamal said.
“We hope that more corporate companies will come on board to broaden this initiative and make it regular.”
Jamal said the company had already engaged Kampala Central Mayor Salim Uhuru and Kampala Minister Minsa Kabanda, who pledged their support for the initiative.
She added that Jubilee Insurance intends to strengthen its partnership with KCCA through additional community programmes.
KCCA officials welcomed the partnership, noting that the monthly cleaning initiative requires more support from private organisations to achieve wider community participation.
Eliazar Balwaine, the executive secretary for finance and administration at KCCA Kampala Central, said the initiative is gaining momentum and needed partners to provide equipment and mobilise residents.
“The government set aside this initiative, but since it is new, it has not picked up well and that is why we are grateful for partners like Jubilee who are coming on board to energise this initiative,” Balwaine said.
“We have communities who are ready to take part but do not have what to use.” He noted.
He said Jubilee Insurance representatives would be invited to the next council meeting to explore further areas of cooperation.
Sheila Komugisha, the KCCA woman councillor representing Kamwokya and Kololo, said poor sanitation continues to expose communities to preventable illnesses, urging residents to take greater responsibility for their surroundings.
“Many of our people are falling sick with preventable diseases simply because they are not taking good care of their environment,” Komugisha said.
She thanked Jubilee Insurance for supporting the exercise and called for sustained collaboration between the private sector and the city authority.
At the conclusion of the exercise, Jubilee Insurance donated the cleaning equipment used during the activity to KCCA to support future sanitation operations.
The partnership is expected to encourage more corporate organisations to contribute resources and participate in community cleaning activities as Kampala seeks to address poor waste disposal, maintain drainage systems and reduce the risks of flooding and disease outbreaks.
