Security in Uganda

The Presidential and Parliamentary elections were held in February. Generally they were regarded as being held in an open and transparent manner and the sitting President was re-elected without much tension. In the run up to the official swearing in of the President and government in May, however there was increased tension between the government and the opposition which led to some protests which in turn led to some isolated incidents of violence for a few days. These have now settled down again and the government has reassured everyone that measures are in place to maintain law and order. Throughout this period travel to and from the Kampala has continued normally and all areas of the country have remained stable. Clients have proceeded with safaris as planned without any adverse developments.

Volcanoes Safaris therefore reject the recent comments on the africaanswerman.com blog that suggests Uganda “should be scratched off the list for travellers.”

In the fifteen years Volcanoes Safaris has operated in Uganda clients have repeatedly said that they feel that Uganda has been one of the safest and most relaxed countries to visit in the world. The statistics of the last few years also speak for themselves – the number of negative incidents involving travelers has been minimal. This state of affairs is also born out by the travel advisories of the major western governments which continue to advise that travel to the main tourist areas of Uganda proceeds normally.

Homosexuality Bill

Another issue that has created interest in recent months is the introduction of a Private Members Bill in the Ugandan Parliament that would seek to discriminate against gay people. In a statement issued through the Uganda Tourist Board recently, the government of Uganda has stated that it:

“condemns any form of discrimination against Ugandan citizens and all other nationals for their religious, cultural and sexual orientation. We would also like to clarify that the anti-homosexuality bill that was tabled in the Uganda Parliament last year was in fact a private member’s bill which the government of Uganda withdrew. Uganda Tourism Board welcomes all intending visitors to Uganda regardless of their sexual or cultural orientation and will continue to work with the Ugandan police and other agencies to ensure that their stay is peaceful and enjoyable.”

We hope this information helps reassure clients and agents that Uganda is a safe and welcoming place to visit and has many unique attractions for travellers ranging from the gorillas and chimpanzees, many species of wildlife, twelve hundred bird species and a variety of cultural experiences. We would be happy to provide any detailed information that clients and agents may require about security or travel in the country.

Volcanoes Safaris is monitoring the situation and will release updates as required. Clients should also check the consular advice provided by their governments.

Please do get in touch with your safari consultant if you have any queries.