Bobi Wine justifies US negative travel advisory after Kisekka market shooting

• Armed men allegedly fired shots after a failed attempt to seize someone at Kisekka Market.

• Bobi Wine said the incident showed why the US placed Uganda under a Level Four travel advisory.

• The US cites crime, health concerns, terrorism and civil unrest.

• Ugandan officials insist the country remains peaceful, secure and open to visitors.

National Unity Platform president Bobi Wine, has cited a shooting at Kisekka Market to defend the United States’ decision to place Uganda under its highest travel warning.

The incident happened at about 5.40pm on Tuesday, in Kisekka market in downtown Kampala.

Witnesses said armed men in plain clothes arrived in a Toyota Noah and attempted to seize an unidentified person.

They said traders and other bystanders gathered after the attempt failed. The armed men then allegedly fired several shots into the air to disperse the crowd before driving away.

Videos shared online showed people running as gunshots rang through the busy commercial area. Police had not issued a public statement on the incident by the time of publication.

Bobi Wine, in a statement, said the incident supported Washington’s concerns about insecurity and the conduct of Uganda’s security agencies.

“Just last week, regime apologists were questioning the decision of the US to place Uganda on Level 4 Do Not Travel Advisory! We LOVE OUR COUNTRY, but those who rule over us are the enemies of our country,” Kyagulanyi said.

He said the video appeared to show scenes from a war zone despite the incident taking place in the centre of Kampala.

“See this video and you may think you're watching a scene from a war front. But this is Kisekka Market, in the middle of our capital. How do you persuade people to visit a country that behaves in this manner?” he said.

Kyagulanyi alleged that the armed men were state operatives and questioned how the public could distinguish security personnel from criminals.

“Heavily armed thugs in plain clothes terrorising people in broad daylight! No wonder ordinary people thought they were armed robbers!” he said.

“And yet, these are the regime operatives who have been given the licence to terrorise, abduct and murder without consequence. How can ordinary citizens distinguish between criminals and security operatives when there's no difference in how they conduct themselves?”

He called for greater professionalism among security agencies.

“We must all aspire to build a country where security forces behave with utmost professionalism,” Kyagulanyi said.

The US State Department currently lists Uganda under Level Four, which advises Americans not to travel to the country because of crime, health concerns, terrorism and civil unrest. The advisory was issued on June 4, 2026.

The US first raised Uganda from Level Three to Level Four on May 17 following an Ebola outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It retained the classification in June while updating its explanation. 

Washington says violent crime, including armed robbery and home invasions, remains a threat. It also says Uganda’s police have limited resources to respond to serious crime in many areas. 

The advisory warns that demonstrations can begin without notice and that security personnel have used batons, tear gas, rubber bullets and gunfire to disperse crowds. It also cites the threat of terrorism and Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act. 

The US government says the Ebola outbreak has also limited its ability to provide emergency consular assistance to its citizens in Uganda. 

Ugandan officials have rejected the assessment and insist that the country remains peaceful and open to visitors.

Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba asked the US to reconsider the advisory during a July 8 meeting with US Chargé d’Affaires Mikael Cleverley in Fort Portal.

Kainerugaba said the warning was damaging tourism, which provides jobs and foreign exchange. He maintained that Uganda offered visitors a peaceful and secure environment. 

The government has also said Uganda’s major tourist attractions remain open and secure despite isolated security incidents and threats along the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Uganda’s health authorities have separately asked countries to lift Ebola-related restrictions after the last confirmed patient was discharged from hospital on July 16.

Health minister Chris Baryomunsi said the country had contained the infections recorded within its borders but remained on alert because of the outbreak in neighbouring Congo. Uganda must complete 42 days without another infection before authorities can declare the outbreak over.

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention director-general Jean Kaseya has also asked the US to remove Ebola-related restrictions, saying Uganda had gone about a month without recording a new case.