Uganda Travel Safety Guide

This is the longest page in this cluster and it is written plainly. Uganda receives visitors safely every day and it also carries risks that its neighbors do not, several of them concentrated in exactly the places visitors go.

The threat of terrorism

Uganda has experienced terrorist attacks in recent years, and some of them have been in places visitors go.

Places that could be targeted include hotels, transport hubs, restaurants and bars, places of worship, shopping centers, government buildings, police stations, major gatherings and national parks.

Recent attacks include: two tourists and their driver killed in Queen Elizabeth National Park in October 2023; 42 people killed in an attack on a school at Mpondwe, Kasese District, in June 2023; and 13 killed across two attacks in Kamwenge district near Kibale forest in December 2023.

The group responsible is the Allied Democratic Forces, which has links to Daesh and may target tourists and foreign nationals near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly around the Bwera crossing.

What this means for gorilla tracking, specifically

Bwindi and Mgahinga are in the extreme south west, near the borders with the DRC and Rwanda. It is routine practice for security personnel to accompany tourists on gorilla tracking visits in this area.

That is worth reading twice, and it is not a reason not to go. It is the reason the activity continues to run: the escort is the mitigation. It also means an armed presence on your walk will not be a surprise, which it otherwise would be.

Some gorilla tracking operators cross into the DRC. Ask any operator directly whether their itinerary crosses the border, and treat a vague answer as a no.

Use registered operators and contact the Uganda Wildlife Authority for current conditions before traveling.

Borders and regions

Uganda and the DRC conduct joint military operations against the ADF, with Ugandan troops on both sides of the border. In November 2025 there were coordinated attacks on police and army installations in Kasese and Bundibugyo with multiple deaths; tourists were not targeted but the attacks were close to tourist areas.

On the DRC side, the M23 armed group controls the Bunagana and Kitagoma to Buszana crossings in Kisoro district. Border crossings can close at short notice.

In the north east, the Karamoja sub region has an increased security presence because of cattle theft, and armed raids and robberies have caused deaths there and in neighboring Teso and Acholi. Foreign nationals are not usually the target. Avoid travel at night.

Near the South Sudan border, be extra cautious.

Politics, and a note about clothes

Presidential and parliamentary elections were held on 15 January 2026, and President Museveni was sworn in for a seventh term on 12 May 2026. The vote was marred by violence and by allegations of fraud. Elections and political events in Uganda have led to protests, violence and fatalities, and to disruption of the internet and social media. Police have used tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition.

One specific and easily missed piece of advice: red and yellow are strongly associated with political parties in Uganda, so consider not wearing those colors around political events. Together with the ban on camouflage, that makes Uganda a country where what you put on in the morning is a practical question.

The law on same sex activity

Same sex sexual activity is illegal in Uganda. The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023, introduced in May 2023, provides for long prison sentences and, in some cases, the death penalty, and carries severe penalties for promoting LGBT rights.

Sexual activity with someone of the same sex carries a punishment of life imprisonment. Offenses classed as aggravated homosexuality carry a sentence of up to the death penalty, although the death penalty has not been implemented for civilians in Uganda since 1999. The aggravated category is defined to include activity with a person aged 17 or under or 75 or above, a relative or someone in your care, a person who is disabled or has a mental health condition, or a person who is unconscious or whose judgment is impaired.

This publication states the law and does not offer advice about who should travel where. The provision on promotion is worth noting separately, because it reaches speech and association rather than conduct.

Other laws that carry real penalties

It is forbidden to photograph military, official or diplomatic sites, and one of them is squarely on the tourist trail: Owen Falls Dam at the source of the Nile near Jinja. Ask permission before photographing people.

Penalties for drugs are severe, with a maximum of 20 years for possession and life imprisonment for trafficking. It is illegal, and punishable by a fine and possible imprisonment, to offer money, food or clothing to children living on the streets in Kampala. Give to an organization instead.

Criminals may target visitors who show signs of wealth, and organized crime exists.

Health, including an outbreak that has reached the capital

The emergency number is 999. Medical help at the scene of an accident is likely to be limited, particularly outside Kampala, which is the argument for insurance that covers evacuation rather than treatment alone.

Uganda declared its outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus over on 28 July 2026, after 20 confirmed cases, two of them fatal, including cases in Kampala. The outbreak in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo continues, which the World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May 2026, so screening on entry and exit continues and travel to and from the DRC remains restricted. Check the current position close to travel.

Malaria is present. Yellow fever vaccination is compulsory for entry. Mpox and Marburg are both listed among the health risks. Altitude sickness is a risk in parts of the country. Drink only boiled or bottled water and avoid ice.