SDA CHURCH DEMANDS SPECIAL DAY FOR NATIONAL CLEANING

Members of the SDA in Arua City during their Saturday service on launch of the national cleaning day. (PHOTO BY EREMA).

By Erema George

Arua City

The seventh day Adventists (SDA) church has called for the government’s exemption in the nationwide cleaning campaign aimed at ensuring cleanliness across the country saying that the day collides with the Sabbath day in which they practice their faith through worshiping God.

Addressing the believers gathered at the Arua city SDA church on July 25, the first Saturday of the mandatory cleaning day following its declaration by the prime minister of Uganda, Robinah Nabanja, the president of the Uganda Union Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Pastor Samuel Kajoba, noted that the chosen day brings the members of the SDA church into a direct conflict with the bible;

“The national cleaning day’s circular issued on the 30th involved physical labor on every last Saturday every month beginning from 25th. Therefore this one brings our members in a direct conflict with the bible.” Pr. Kajobe noted.

Pr. Samuel Kajobe, the president of the Uganda Union Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on Saturday at Arua City SDA church. (PHOTO BY EREMA)

The pastor therefore calls on the government to consider giving them a special day to carryout their cleaning if they are to participate in the cleaning of the country;

“But in order to demonstrate our commitment to the cleaning, we came up with an alternative which we are bailing the government and all other people to understand and to allow us to use. We want to allow our members to clean every last Sunday of the month. We can do the same things, same hours, and same work and in fact for us as seventh day Adventists, we don’t even need an askari to stand around to make us work, we only need to be shown that here is your work.”

Arua city mayor his worship Lawrence Alionzi while responding to their request, reiterated the mandatory responsibility by the citizens to carry out this exercise maintaining that as local government, they need to have consultations from the highest authorities that passed the directive;

“The freedom and the right of worship is the one that sits at the center of our democracy in this country so we recognize the right of the seventh day Adventist to worship and to honor god on the Sabbath. However, the national cleaning day is a national event and it was launched at the national level and we at the local government level are compelled to comply with the national directive,” he noted.

“I think the best we can as local government is to take note of this and consult with the national leadership to see how best we can both achieve the national cleaning but also take care of the interest of the seventh day Adventist in line with Sabbath been their day of worship,” Mayor Alionzi added.

The Government has declared the last Saturday of every month as National Cleaning Day. Prime Minister Nabanja explained that the National Cleaning Day initiative was approved by Cabinet, chaired by H.E. President Yoweri Museveni, on 11 August 2025 and is a monthly cleaning exercise which will take place from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., during which all Ugandans and other residents of Uganda are expected to participate in organized community cleaning activities.