Travel Smart
Honest, sourced guidance so you travel confident. Most of any country is calmer than the headlines suggest.
Safety
Countrywide advisory (Government of Canada)
Reconsider travelAvoid non-essential travel (with regional advisories) Regional advisories apply; see the source for zone-level detail.
Source: Government of Canada · Verified 2026-07-26
Kampala and Central Region
Exercise increased cautionKampala is bustling and generally safe in daytime and established commercial areas. Petty crime (pickpocketing, bag snatching) is common; avoid isolated areas at night. Violent crime affecting tourists is rare.
Avoid: Certain suburbs (Nansana, Kawempe) after dark; isolated green spaces at night
Common scams: Pickpocketing on buses, taxi meter manipulation, currency exchanges at unfavorable rates, drinks laced with drugs in bars
Source: UK FCDO, US State Department · Verified 2026-07-06
Western Region and Gorilla Trekking Areas
Exercise normal precautionsBwindi Impenetrable National Park and surrounding areas are secure and well-managed by tourism operators. Community presence is strong; infrastructure is tourism-focused.
Common scams: Guides offering unauthorized services; unauthorized accommodation near parks
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Northern Region
Exercise normal precautionsNorthern Uganda (Gulu, Lira regions) has recovered significantly since conflict ended in 2006. Tourism is limited but security has improved substantially. Advisories emphasize caution but not restriction.
Common scams: Minimal tourism infrastructure; overcharging is opportunistic rather than organized
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
4 zones rated separately against Government of Canada, UK FCDO, US State Department. Oldest check on this page: 6 July 2026.
Emergency Contacts
Uganda Police Force national emergency line
police
The toll-free lines published on the police force's own site, and the UK Foreign Office also gives 999 as the single number for ambulance, fire and police. Ugandan reporting, though, describes 911 as the hotline the police actually run for emergency and ambulance dispatch, with public awareness of it low. Sources genuinely conflict here, so try 999 first and 911 if it fails.
SourceUganda Police Fire and Rescue Services
fire
Published directly on the police force's own toll-free numbers page.
SourceNational emergency line
ambulance
The UK Foreign Office instructs travellers to dial 999 and ask for an ambulance, and 112 reaches the same switchboard from a mobile. This is a combined police, fire and ambulance line rather than a dedicated one, and response outside Kampala can be inconsistent.
SourceKampala Capital City Authority ambulances
ambulance · Kampala
The public ambulance line for Kampala. Be realistic about what it delivers: a national survey found only around a fifth of the public aware of any local ambulance service, and most people reach hospital by boda-boda, private car, or a privately arranged ambulance. A new national ambulance short code, 912, has been rolling out since late 2025 to close exactly this gap.
SourceSt John Ambulance Uganda
ambulance · Kampala
A charitable operator running a 24-hour service in Kampala. This is the organisation's general line, since no separate dispatch number is published.
SourceMulago National Referral Hospital
hospital · Kampala
Uganda's main public national referral hospital, listed on the police force's own toll-free numbers page. The source gives the first number as part of a range, so nearby numbers may also connect.
SourceC-Care IHK, International Hospital Kampala
hospital · Kampala
Plot 4686, St Barnabas Road, Namuwongo, Kampala
A private multi-specialty hospital commonly used by visitors and expatriate residents, and the only COHSASA-accredited hospital in the country according to its own site. The second number is the one the hospital labels as its ambulance line.
Source