By Dennis Otim – 19^th-25^th July 2010

The British government has revised its Uganda travel advice and also warned its citizens against travelling to certain parts of Uganda at certain times. It also advised its citizens to avoid large social gatherings.  “…British nationals should follow the advice of local authorities, exercise caution while travelling around the city and avoid large social gatherings”; the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office [FCO] said.

The travel revisions and warnings followed the July 11^th terror attacks at Kyadondo Rugby Club and at Ethiopian Village restaurant in Kabalagala; all located within the suburbs of Uganda’s capital city Kampala.  By the time Uganda Correspondent went to press, the death toll was said to around at 76 with many more still in critical condition fighting for their lives in Uganda’s pathetically equipped hospitals. 

Al Shabaab, a radical Islamist group based in Somalia claimed the attacks on Kampala and warned that more would come if Uganda does not withdraw its troops from Somalia.  Ugandan troops were sent into Somalia unilaterally by President Yoweri Museveni [as Commander-in-Chief] amid protests from Uganda’s opposition parties.  Today, it’s only Uganda and Burundi that have a substantial presence of soldiers in Somalia as part of an African Union [AU] peace mission.

In the revised travel advice warnings posted on the FCO website, the British government also told its nationals that “…we advise against travel by road outside of major towns at night except between Kampala and the airport at Entebbe”.

The British government then offered its nationals more serious advice that could only have come from its external intelligence agency Mi6 that Ian Fleming made famous with his James Bond 007 movies.  “…There is an underlying threat from terrorism in Uganda.  Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers”; the British government warned. 

The British warning to its nationals doesn’t just cover travel to and within Uganda’s major urban areas like the capital city Kampala, Entebbe, and Jinja.  It covers upcountry towns too.  With regard to travel to some of these upcountry towns, the FCO advised British nationals against ALL travel except by air to Kidepo Valley National Park.  “…We advise against all travel to Karamoja region in north eastern Uganda [Kotido, Moroto, Nakapiripirit, Katakwi, Kaabong, Abim, Kapchorwa and Bukwa Distsricts] with the exception of trips to Kidepo Valley National Park which we recommend should be made by air”; the FCO warned. 

According to Uganda’s Immigration Department, around 15,000 British tourists visit Uganda every year.  Last week, one of Uganda’s English dailies published a report in which the Ministry of Tourism sought to reassure all tourists visiting Uganda about their security.  That optimism is clearly not shared by the British government as the FCO’s travel warnings show.