Mbarara City Council has launched a robust enforcement campaign aimed at improving urban hygiene standards, following a directive from the Ministry of Local Government and the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) that designates the last Saturday of every month as a mandatory sanitation and inspection day.
The implementation phase began over the weekend under the supervision of the Town Clerk, Justine Barekye, who led a joint team of health inspectors and enforcement officers in sweeping inspections across high-density residential areas where sanitation challenges remain persistent.
“We have started our national sanitation drive in Mbarara City South, particularly Kisenyi Cell. We are looking at garbage collection, waste management by households, toilets and drainage trenches,” Barekye said during the operation.
The exercise quickly led to decisive action, including the emergency closure of several rental units in Kisenyi. Among the affected properties was the Praise the Lord House, which was shut down after inspectors identified severe deficiencies in waste disposal systems and poorly maintained pit latrines.
City officials said the closures were necessary to prevent further public health risks in densely populated neighbourhoods where poor sanitation has long been a concern.
According to Lydia Mutiibwa, the City Principal Health Officer in charge of environmental health, the council is implementing a phased enforcement approach to ensure comprehensive coverage of all city divisions.
She explained that the strategy is designed to move beyond surface-level inspections and instead focus on detailed, house-to-house assessments to identify and correct sanitation violations.
“The implementation of the directive places the burden of responsibility squarely on property owners. National Sanitation Day is not merely a day for sweeping streets, but a day for administrative accountability,” Mutiibwa said.
She added that the council is shifting away from voluntary compliance towards strict enforcement backed by regulatory action.
“We are moving beyond voluntary cleaning. This is now about enforcement. If a property does not meet the public health standards set by the Ministry, it will be cordoned off. We are prioritising the lives of tenants over the convenience of landlords,” she said.
The enforcement drive is expected to expand to the city’s Northern Division in the coming weeks, with authorities urging residents, landlords, and business operators to use the interim period to improve sanitation standards and comply with national guidelines.
City officials have warned that the operation will continue indefinitely until minimum hygiene benchmarks are fully achieved across Mbarara’s urban settlements. They emphasized that sustained non-compliance will attract penalties, including closure of premises deemed unsafe for habitation.
The campaign is part of a broader national push to strengthen urban public health systems and reduce the risks associated with poor waste management, particularly in rapidly growing urban centres.
Authorities say the message is clear: sanitation is no longer optional, and enforcement will be firm, continuous, and uncompromising until compliance becomes the norm across the city.