Uganda

Is Uganda safe to visit?

It depends on how you travel, and the official view is stark. The US rates Uganda Level 4, "do not travel", the same as war zones, citing crime, health, terrorism and unrest. The UK is milder: it advises against no part of the country, but says terrorists are very likely to try to attack. Most visitors on organised safaris and gorilla treks have no trouble. We score Uganda 48, just below Kenya and Rwanda, because the threats are real and spread across almost every factor.

The 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary ranks Uganda 130th of 163, two places ahead of Kenya.

The ADF and terrorism in the west

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militant group linked to the Islamic State, is based in eastern DR Congo and has struck inside Uganda repeatedly. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary lists the worst recent attacks:

• June 2023: 42 people killed at a school in Mpondwe, Kasese District, near the DRC border.
• October 2023: two tourists and their driver killed in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
• December 2023: 13 killed in two attacks in Kamwenge District near Kibale Forest.

Kampala has been hit before too. In June 2025, according to the FCDO, an explosion went off near the Catholic Basilica in Munyonyo and security forces killed a person in an operation at Kalerwe market. In November 2025 local armed men attacked police and army posts in Kasese and Bundibugyo, near tourist areas.

In the south-west, M23 rebels control the Bunagana crossing on the DRC side of the border near Mgahinga. Gorilla treks in Bwindi and Mgahinga run with armed escorts as routine. Use a registered operator, avoid any tour that crosses into the DRC, and avoid large gatherings anywhere in the country.

Elections and unrest

President Museveni, in power since 1986, won a seventh term in the election of 15 January 2026, which was held during an internet shutdown and an opposition crackdown. Al Jazeera reported at least seven people killed in Butambala the night after the vote, and Africanews later reported 30 dead. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says police have used tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition on protesters. Avoid rallies, and consider not wearing red or yellow, the main party colours, around political events.

A newer rule can catch visitors out: the last Saturday of each month is a national cleaning day, with businesses closed and non-essential movement banned from 7am to 10am. Tourists are exempt, but police may ask you to explain yourself.

Ebola and other health risks

Uganda has a long history of viral outbreaks. In 2025 a Sudan virus outbreak centred on Kampala caused 14 cases and 4 deaths before it ended in April. In 2026 the Bundibugyo strain spread from the DRC, causing 20 cases in Uganda; the WHO declared Uganda's outbreak over on 27 August 2026. Across the border, it is still growing: the DRC had 8,728 confirmed cases by 6 October, and a traveller who passed through Uganda died of it in Kenya that month.

For ordinary visitors the bigger daily risk is malaria, and CDC recommends tablets for everyone. Rabid dogs are common. Drink bottled or boiled water. Medical care is limited outside Kampala and poor near many tourist sites, so the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says you may need an air ambulance; buy insurance that covers it.

Roads, boda-bodas and buses

Road crashes kill far more people than terrorism. WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 16.0 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, and the toll is still rising: the police recorded 5,383 deaths from 26,044 crashes in 2025, up 4.7% on 2024, about 15 a day. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary names the Jinja–Kampala and Kampala–Masaka roads as frequent crash sites and warns that long-distance buses, including services to Nairobi and Kigali, have had serious accidents and night-time robberies.

• Do not ride boda-bodas (motorbike taxis) or matatus (minibuses); the FCDO says they are poorly maintained, badly driven and often uninsured, and foreigners on bodas have been robbed.
• Do not drive outside towns after dark, except on the Kampala–Entebbe airport road.
• Use a reputable ferry company and refuse any boat that looks overloaded.

Crime

The police counted 4,328 killings in 2025, about 9 per 100,000 people, with 950 deaths from mob justice. Visitors are rarely the target, but the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary reports drink spiking and robbery on buses and in bars, theft from cars in traffic and muggings. Use indoor ATMs and keep car doors locked in towns.

How we scored it

Health (38) is the weakest factor, reflecting malaria, repeated Ebola outbreaks and limited care. Conflict (40) is low because of the US Level 4 advisory, ADF attacks in the west and post-election violence. Road safety (51) uses WHO's 2021 estimate of 16.0 deaths per 100,000, a point lower for the rising police count. Natural hazards (62) and violent crime (54) score highest.