How safe is Uganda for travelers?

The two advisories do not agree, and you should read both

• The FCDO advises against travel to no part of Uganda. Its advice was current at 10 September 2026.
• Global Affairs Canada advises against non-essential travel to the whole country, citing the regional impact of Ebola, the terrorist threat and high crime, and against all travel within 50 km of the South Sudan border.
• They also read crime differently: Canada calls it "a high level of crime throughout Uganda", with violent crime frequent and tourists targeted, where the FCDO writes more narrowly about criminals targeting people who show signs of wealth. Where two governments disagree, plan on the more cautious one and check both before you book.

Terrorism

• Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Uganda, the FCDO says, including in Kampala and in national parks, and attacks could be indiscriminate.
• Recent significant attacks it lists include December 2023 at Kyabandara and Nyabitusi in Kamwenge district, October 2023 when 2 tourists and their driver were killed in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and June 2023 when 42 people were killed at a school in Mpondwe.
• Avoid large gatherings of any kind. Prefer hotels and venues with bag searches and visible security.

Where the FCDO gives regional advice

• Western Uganda, near the DRC border. The Allied Democratic Forces, linked to Daesh, may target foreign nationals, especially around the Bwera crossing; Ugandan troops operate on both sides of the border and crossings can close at short notice.
• South-west Uganda. M23 controls the Bunagana and Kitagoma-Buszana crossings on the DRC side in Kisoro district. Security personnel routinely accompany gorilla-tracking groups in Mgahinga and Bwindi, which is normal here, not a sign of a crisis. Do not take a gorilla tour that crosses into DRC.
• North-east, the Karamoja sub-region. Armed cattle raiding, robberies and security operations across Kaabong, Kotido, Abim, Moroto and Nakapiripirit.
• Kampala itself is treated as a busy capital, with two security operations in June 2025 noted on the page.

Politics

• Presidential and parliamentary elections were held on 15 January 2026, with the inauguration on 12 May 2026. Rallies and protests can happen anywhere without warning, police have used tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition, and internet and social media have been disrupted.
• Red and yellow are strongly associated with political parties. The FCDO suggests not wearing them around political events.

Laws that catch visitors

• Camouflage and military-style clothing are illegal for anyone, children included. That covers marks, badges, symbols and accessories associated with the Ugandan military, and red berets. The maximum sentence on conviction is life imprisonment. Check what is in the bag before you pack it.
• Electronic cigarettes and shisha are illegal, with fines and prison sentences. Smoking is banned in public places, workplaces, transport and outdoors within 50 metres of a public building.
• Photographing military, official or diplomatic sites is forbidden, and that expressly includes Owen Falls Dam at the source of the Nile near Jinja, plus airports, ports and uniformed personnel. Ask before photographing people.
• Giving money, food or clothing to children living on the streets in Kampala is illegal and punishable by a fine and possibly prison.
• Drug penalties are severe: up to 20 years for possession, life for trafficking.
• Always carry a copy of your passport photo page. Officials may stop you and ask for identification, and police checkpoints are common, particularly heading west.
• A drone needs a permit from the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority to be imported or flown.

LGBT+ travellers

• Same-sex sexual activity is illegal. The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 carries life imprisonment for same-sex sexual activity and up to the death penalty for what it calls aggravated homosexuality, though the death penalty has not been carried out on civilians in Uganda since 1999.
• Promoting or supporting homosexuality carries up to 20 years, and is drafted widely enough to cover publishing, broadcasting or funding.
• The FCDO records that anti-LGBT+ rhetoric from public figures and media incites hostility, and that LGBT+ people or those perceived to be face harassment, blackmail and violence. Canada reports arbitrary arrests and searches by security forces. Read both governments' advice for LGBT+ travellers before deciding to travel.

Crime, practically

• Do not carry large amounts of cash, use indoor ATMs, and arrange transport when withdrawing money. Do not wear expensive jewellery or watches, and do not walk after dark.
• Thieves work stopped traffic: keep doors locked and windows shut in town, and nothing visible in a parked car.
• Drink spiking is a documented risk on public transport and in bars, and the FCDO also warns about methanol in adulterated spirits, which cannot be tasted or smelled.

On the road

• Traffic drives on the left. A UK licence is valid for up to 3 months; beyond that you need a Ugandan licence or a 1949 international driving permit, which cannot be bought outside the UK.
• Accidents are common on the Jinja to Kampala and Kampala to Masaka roads, at night vehicles drive without lights and livestock wander onto the carriageway, and speeding is enforced with fines or imprisonment.
• Long-distance and overnight buses have had serious accidents and robberies, including on international services to Nairobi, Kigali and Dar es Salaam.
• Ferry accidents on Lake Victoria and Lake Albert have killed many, usually through overloading. Do not board a boat that looks overloaded, and find the life jackets.