Kilosa District Commissioner Shaka Hamdu Shaka has led a public clean-up exercise at the town’s main bus stand, personally joining residents and government workers in removing piles of rubbish from the busy transport hub.
Mr Shaka was seen wearing gloves, carrying a sack and using a broom as he led the exercise early yesterday, attracting traders, food vendors, bodaboda operators, security personnel and government employees.
The clean-up covered the bus stand and nearby market, where rubbish had accumulated around shops and blocked drainage channels. The waste was collected and loaded onto a municipal truck.
“Today we did not come here to take pictures. We decided to leave our offices and come to the streets to clean the area ourselves. A leader must lead by example,” Mr Shaka said.
He said the condition of the bus stand and market was important because they formed the first impression visitors got of Kilosa.
“Our bus stand and our market are the face of our district. If a visitor gets off a bus and finds rubbish, they will think the whole of Kilosa is dirty. We must change this image,” he said.
Mr Shaka also directed the Kilosa Municipal Council to require every trader to place a waste container outside their business premises.
“From tomorrow, every trader must have a waste container in front of their business. This is not a request; it is an order. Those who fail to comply will face action according to the law,” he said.
He urged residents to make cleanliness a daily responsibility rather than relying on government-led campaigns.
“Cleanliness is health, dignity and part of the economy. We have started here at the bus stand, but the same spirit must spread to all public places and our homes. Every resident should be an ambassador for cleanliness,” he said.
Residents who took part in the exercise welcomed the initiative, saying the visible participation of the district commissioner had encouraged more people to join the clean-up.
They called for the exercise to be sustained through regular waste collection and enforcement of cleanliness regulations in the district.