Outrage as US retains Uganda on Level 4 ‘Do Not Travel’ advisory

The United States retained Uganda under its highest travel warning, drawing fresh attention to complaints from tour operators who say health advisories have cost them bookings even as the country brought its Ebola outbreak under control.

On November 9, 2026, the US State Department’s TravelGov account included Uganda in a reminder listing destinations under Level 4, alongside Iran, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 

Uganda has held that rating since May 17, 2026, and the department kept it in place when it updated the advisory on June 4, 2026. 

The advisory urges Americans to avoid travel to Uganda because of crime, health risks, terrorism and civil unrest. 

It warns that the US has limited capacity to provide emergency consular help. It also cites armed robbery, limited police resources and the risk of attacks in public places, including sites that tourists visit. 

The US raised the warning from Level 3 in May after an outbreak of Bundibugyo Ebola linked to the DRC. Uganda’s Ministry of Health declared the outbreak over on July 28, 2026. 

The World Health Organisation and Africa CDC welcomed the end of the outbreak on August 27, 2026, after 42 days passed without a new confirmed case following the discharge of Uganda’s last patient. In October, Uganda’s health ministry said the country had recorded no further confirmed cases and warned that transmission continued across the border in the DRC.

For Uganda’s tour operators, the concern is what the warning does to bookings. 

Tourism entrepreneur Amos Wekesa called the United States’ decision to keep Uganda under its highest travel warning “very unfair”, questioning why the country shares the same rating as Iran and North Korea.

“America, how can uganda be at the same level as IRAN and North Korea,” Wekesa wrote on X. “VERY UNFAIR.”

Dr Arinaitwe Rugyendo wrote, “How is Uganda safe for the world’s rarest great apes, but too unsafe for Americans?” he asked.

In May, tour operator Rodgers Akampurira appealed to President Yoweri Museveni after reporting safari cancellations and pressure to refund clients who had paid for hotels, transport and permits. 

The Uganda Media Centre later argued that the warning gave visitors a distorted picture of the country, pointing out that national parks and other attractions continued to receive tourists.

Uganda recorded 1.64 million international tourist arrivals and earned about Shs5.83 trillion ($1.62 billion) from tourism in 2025, according to the Ministry of Tourism. 

A lost safari booking can affect several businesses on the same itinerary, from lodges and tour companies to guides and drivers. 

Other governments take a different approach. 

Australia advises travellers to exercise a high degree of caution across Uganda, with stronger warnings near the borders with South Sudan and the DRC. Britain updated its guidance on November 6, 2026, to reflect Ebola precautions in the region and advises visitors to review its safety and health guidance before travelling.