education 10 July 2026 Nile Post
Kampala Schools Vie for Top Hygiene Honors in Inaugural WASH Competition
Kampala's primary school students are being empowered to become champions of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) through a new competition designed to improve health and academic outcomes. Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/news/355380/learners-urged-to-champion-hygiene-as-school-wash-competition-debuts-in-kampala
Learners in Kampala are now central to promoting improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices, with the aim of boosting health, school attendance, and academic success.
This initiative was highlighted at the first-ever School WASH Competition, themed “WASH for Every Child is Dignity – Clean Hands, Safe Toilets, Better Grades,” held at Kiswa Primary School. Organized by the Community Integrated Development Initiatives (CIDI) in partnership with Danish People’s Aid, the event saw 11 primary schools from the Makindye and Nakawa divisions participate.
Schools creatively showcased WASH messages through music, dance, and drama. Bukasa Primary School took the top prize, with St. Lawrence Primary School and Luzira Church of Uganda Primary School securing second and third place, respectively. Winners were awarded trophies.
Nakawa Division Mayor, Bukeni Ali (Nubian Li), urged students to engage in co-curricular activities, emphasizing their role in building confidence, teamwork, and even enhancing academic performance through memorization and physical coordination. He stated that teamwork makes tasks progress faster and strengthens collective effort.
Mayor Ali also stressed the importance of cleanliness in preventing illnesses, thereby ensuring consistent school attendance and saving families medical expenses. He encouraged learners to maintain clean surroundings, avoid littering, and embrace patriotism.
Silas Aogon, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Forum on WASH, lauded CIDI for leveraging schools to promote hygiene, recognizing children as effective change agents. He highlighted that teaching WASH in schools cultivates lifelong habits that positively impact communities. Aogon also acknowledged progress in menstrual hygiene education, noting improved understanding among boys and girls, and praised the development of practical environmental conservation skills like waste segregation among students.
However, persistent challenges remain, including insufficient water supplies, high water bills, and inadequate sanitation facilities. The maintenance of installed WASH infrastructure, such as rainwater harvesting tanks, also presents a significant hurdle, leading to immediate water crises when systems break down. CIDI called for increased investment from the government and development partners to ensure schools have access to safe, clean water.