Uganda Safety Guide
Health, security, and travel safety information
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before your trip.
Healthcare
What to know about medical care in Uganda.
Uganda's public hospitals treat citizens first and fill fast. Private clinics in Kampala, Entebbe, and Jinja serve travellers with shorter waits and English-speaking doctors.
International Hospital Kampala (IHK) in Namuwongo and Case Medical Centre in Kololo manage evacuations; Entebbe's St. Francis covers day-trip crises near the airport.
Goodlife Pharmacy and Medipharm outlets in Kampala stay open until 21:00 and sell imported antimalarials, rehydration salts, and altitude pills without prescription.
Travel insurance is strongly advised. Immigration officers can ask for proof of cover on arrival.
- ✓ Carry photocopies of prescriptions. Some brand names differ in Uganda.
- ✓ Avoid street antibiotics, counterfeits are common in downtown Kampala kiosks.
Common Risks
Be aware of these potential issues.
Pickpockets unzip daypacks inside Owino Market and yank phones through open taxi windows.
Overloaded mini-buses and speeding boda-bodas cause most visitor injuries.
Salads washed in tap water and lukewarm street meat can spark days of misery.
Scams to Avoid
Watch out for these common tourist scams.
Flyers in Kampala hostels tout gorilla permits at half price. Operators vanish once paid.
A vendor ties a beaded bracelet on your wrist at Entebbe Crafts Village, then demands cash.
Driver quotes 3,000 UGX, then claims he said 30,000 at the destination.
Safety Tips
Practical advice to stay safe.
- • Walk in groups after 21:00 along Kampala's Acacia Avenue. Lone walkers attract snatch-thieves.
- • Install the SafeBoda app for helmet-compliant motorcycle rides tracked by GPS.
- • Stay 7 m from mountain gorillas. Drop your gaze if a silverback mock-charges.
- • Lock all food in lodge lockers to stop baboon raids at Queen Elizabeth National Park.
- • Split cash between a hidden belt pouch and your main bag; ATMs inside malls beat street kiosks for safety.
- • Scan passport and yellow-fever certificate into cloud storage before leaving Entebbe Airport.
Information for Specific Travelers
Safety considerations for different traveler groups.
Uganda is generally safe for solo women. Greetings stay polite. Yet unwanted male attention climbs in nightlife zones.
- → Sit near the front on long-distance buses. Conductors watch out for solo female travellers.
- → Carry a lightweight scarf to cover shoulders when entering Kampala's Gadafi Mosque area.
Same-sex relations remain illegal. The Anti-Homosexuality Act sets severe penalties.
- → Book twin beds instead of doubles in smaller guesthouses.
- → Skip LGBTQ+ dating apps in rural Uganda. Use VPNs and meet only through trusted expat networks in Kampala.
Travel Insurance
Protect yourself before you travel.
Medical evacuation from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to Kampala by air costs more than a mid-range safari. Insurance covers the bill.
Ready to plan your trip to Uganda?
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