Everyday practical information for Uganda

The last Saturday of the month is not a normal morning

• Between 07:00 and 10:00 on the final Saturday of each month, national cleaning day is mandatory and nationwide. All businesses must close and all non-essential movement of people and vehicles is prohibited, enforced by the police.
• Tourists and international travellers are exempt, along with medical staff, security, journalists, patients travelling to a health facility and cross-border traffic. Anyone travelling under an exemption may have to identify themselves and explain their circumstances.
• The FCDO says plainly that it is unclear how widely the restrictions are enforced, including for hotel and airport access. If your flight or transfer falls in that window, ask your hotel or operator the week before rather than on the morning.

Power

• Type G sockets, the British three pin, at 240 V and 50 Hz. A UK plug goes straight in; most of Europe needs an adapter.

The climate you land in

• Entebbe sits on the equator on a peninsula in Lake Victoria, 3,782 feet up, which is why the coast-level heat you might expect never arrives: the airport's own figures are a range of about 17°C to 27°C in January and 16°C to 25°C in July.
• Rainy seasons run roughly March to May and again in the autumn, bringing localised flooding and landslides. The two governments describe the second season slightly differently, October to November for the FCDO and September to November for Canada, so treat the whole autumn as wet.

Getting about

• Uber and Bolt operate in Kampala. Both foreign ministries advise against matatus and boda-bodas, which is most of what moves around you.
• Uganda is in an earthquake zone, and minor tremors can still do damage.

Manners and dress

• Dress conservatively outside the cities and respect religious and social traditions.
• Ask before photographing anyone, and remember the ban on photographing dams, airports, government buildings and uniformed personnel.