BUKOMANSIMBI — Police in Bukomansimbi District on Saturday forced residents out of their homes and lodges after they ignored the government’s directive to participate in the nationwide Bulungi Bwansi community clean-up exercise.
The operation, led by Bukomansimbi District Police Commander Aggrey Francis Kyesimiire, saw police officers and local leaders move from house to house compelling residents to join the sanitation campaign.
Some residents had remained seated on verandas, while others locked themselves inside their homes in an attempt to avoid the exercise.
Others sought refuge in lodges, hoping to escape the operation, but police stormed Gwe Osalawo Lodge and ordered everyone found inside to leave and participate in the clean-up.
Police also mounted roadblocks on major roads, stopping motorists and passengers and requiring them to take part in the exercise before continuing with their journeys.
Traffic temporarily came to a standstill as officers enforced the directive, insisting that no one was exempt from the sanitation campaign.
The nationwide Bulungi Bwansi exercise, introduced by government to promote environmental cleanliness and prevent disease outbreaks, started at 6:30am.
Kyesimiire said maintaining a clean environment was a collective responsibility and urged residents to take government programmes seriously.
"No one is above this exercise. Every resident has a duty to keep their environment clean because a clean community protects us from disease," he said.
Some residents welcomed the enforcement, saying strict supervision had encouraged more people to participate than in previous clean-up campaigns.
"We thank the DPC and the government for enforcing this programme. We hope these clean-up days can even be increased because they help keep our communities healthy," one resident said.
Other residents called on their neighbours to stop ignoring sanitation programmes, warning that poor hygiene contributes to the spread of preventable diseases including cholera, typhoid and malaria.
Assistant Resident District Commissioner Joseph Luwagga Kitayimbwa warned business owners operating without proper sanitation facilities, especially pit latrines, that they would face legal action.
"Business owners must provide proper sanitation facilities. Anyone operating without acceptable standards will face the law," Kitayimbwa said.
Bukomansimbi Town Council Mayor Mawanda urged residents to embrace cleanliness as a daily responsibility rather than an activity carried out only during government-organised campaigns.
District authorities warned that residents found maintaining dirty premises after the exercise would be arrested and prosecuted, saying the campaign is aimed at improving sanitation and protecting public health.
