Hundreds of volunteers armed with brooms, slashers and hoes cleaned trading centres in Namaiba, Namakwa and Nakisunga, collecting garbage, clearing overgrown bushes and unblocking drainage channels clogged with waste.
The exercise marked the district's implementation of the government's nationwide monthly clean-up programme, which seeks to encourage community participation in maintaining clean and healthy neighbourhoods.
Students who participated pledged to champion proper waste management in their communities by encouraging their parents and neighbours to dispose of rubbish responsibly.
"We have learnt that throwing plastic waste anywhere destroys the environment. We are going to teach our parents and neighbours to dispose of garbage properly because the land is our most important resource," one student said.
Teachers welcomed the initiative, saying it would help curb sanitation-related diseases while instilling a sense of responsibility among young people.
Namakwa Senior Secondary School head teacher Robert Mayemba said regular community clean-up activities would improve hygiene and reduce illnesses linked to poor sanitation.
"This programme will improve sanitation in our communities and schools. A cleaner environment means fewer disease outbreaks and healthier learners," Mayemba said.
He added that cleaner surroundings contribute to improved learning outcomes and appealed to parents to ensure proper waste management at home.
"A clean environment means healthy learners. We appeal to parents to manage garbage responsibly because children spend most of their time at home before coming to school," he said.
Mukono District Chairperson Francis Lukoya urged residents to revive Buganda's long-standing tradition of communal work, saying it had historically helped maintain public infrastructure and strengthen community bonds.
"Our forefathers maintained feeder roads, protected spring wells and kept their communities clean through communal work. We should emulate that culture because it promotes unity, responsibility and development," Lukoya said.
He noted that past generations relied on collective effort to maintain feeder roads, protect water sources and keep villages clean, urging communities to embrace the same spirit to improve sanitation and drive local development.