Uganda SKETCH SCORE: 39/100governments disagree by 3 advisory levels on UgandaScore capped: at least one government has a "do not travel" advisory in effect.Uganda SKETCH SCORE: 39/100governments disagree by 3 advisory levels on UgandaScore capped: at least one government has a "do not travel" advisory in effect.
Uganda

Nope.

Score capped: at least one government has a "do not travel" advisory in effect.

Verified Jul 12, 2026Confidence high
39Sketch Score
90-day trend

Governments, one trip

What they're telling their own citizens about Uganda

The advisories disagree by 3 level(s) — read all four before you decide who to trust.

The real score

The breakdown

44advisoryConsensus
37Political Stability
35Police Trust
48Health
82Crime
2LGBTQ+

See it from your perspective

39

Nope.

The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.

Staying healthy

What to watch out for, health-wise

Active notices

  • • Ebola Bundibugyo Virus Disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda
  • • Global Measles

Vaccines

Recommended:

From people who've been there

Local know-how

Staying safe

  • Uganda has been home to some of the more gruesome atrocities in modern African history since its independence in 1962, particularly under the heinous dictator Idi Amin, but in the years since 1987 things have consistently improved.
  • In the 2010s, female tourists have been victims of attacks and sexual assaults, and are advised never to walk alone at night.
  • Travel north to Murchison Falls National Park and Ajai Game Reserve is safe. Overlanders from Tanzania and Kenya regularly make the trip routing through Jinja.
  • As in any urban area, Kampala can be dodgy.
  • However, any non-blacks walking in the street stand out and are likely to be stared at openly, which may cause discomfort to those unaccustomed to travelling in Africa.
  • What little begging exists is some of the most polite and inoffensive you will find in African cities, and not worse than anywhere in the West.

Staying healthy

  • The healthcare system is incredibly underdeveloped and is well below western standards.
  • The HIV/AIDS infection rate is very high (although it is lower than in neighbouring countries). Do not have unprotected sex.
  • There are occasional Ebola outbreaks in Uganda.
  • You may encounter exit screening (temperature checks) on leaving Uganda.
  • Marburg haemorrhagic fevers have been endemic within certain regions of the country.
  • Take precautions against malaria.

Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.

Real talk

What travelers actually say

Travelers express anxiety regarding Uganda based on news reports of kidnappings and regional disease outbreaks like Ebola in neighboring areas. Discussions focus on the perceived safety of the region compared to Western standards, specifically regarding safari destinations such as Queen Elizabeth Park, Bwindi, Kibale, and Jinja. There is no consensus on ground-level safety or specific crime patterns provided in these discussions; the discourse is limited to pre-trip concerns about health risks and isolated reports of tourist kidnappings. Travelers remain focused on the potential dangers of the region rather than sharing concrete experiences regarding daily safety, transit risks, or specific criminal activity.

With the kidnapping of the American tourist and the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu in the DRC one can’t help but second guess the safety of that region.

— r/travel

Given the Ebola outbreak in DRC and the region, what do you think about the health safety for us to travel to Uganda?

— r/travel

I've never been to Africa before, but like most people I grew up watching the Discovery channel and am also aware that Africa isn't Europe/North America in terms of safety.

— r/travel

Pack this, know this

The little things that trip people up

🔌

Plug & voltage

G · 240V

🚗

Driving side

left

🚨

Emergency

police: 112 / ambulance: 911 / fire: 112

Show the receipts (11 sources)
Printable pre-trip checklist for Uganda →