About Frank Expertise My knowledge is mainly of the capital city, Kampala, and surrounding area. I will be glad to share about transportation, society, government, living conditions, education, media, etc.
Experience Experience in the area: I spent a month in Uganda, consulting at a major university and visiting government, media, and civic entities. My consultancies have taken me to many third world countries, equipping me for comparative observations about Uganda and other emerging societies. Many articles on economic development, media and society, emerging societies -- published in various countries, several languages. Credentials: Retired professor of international mass media.
Expert: Frank Date: 4/2/2005 Subject: saftey in Uganda
Question I have a young friend who is going to Uganda on a mission trip and I am concern for saftey. can you tell me if Uganda has a stable goverment and how do they fill about americans. What is the main religion ?. She will be staying in Kampala and going into the country side.How are the hotels in Kampala.Do they speak English? thank you for your insite on this subject. .
Answer
April 3, 2005
Dear Barbara,
I hope your friend knows the answers to some of your questions, or if not it would appear that the mission trip organizers or hosts have not done an adequate job of pre-trip orientation. Seems to me that a mission volunteer should be thoroughly briefed on such things as language and safety precautions. However . . .
The feminine pronoun tells me your friend is female, so some added precautions are essential anywhere, but especially in a third-world country. She should never, absolutely never, go out into the streets alone. She should absolutely not wear jewelry or carry anything that suggests affluence. She should dress down, even to appearing masculine, never showing much skin. Pants and loose, straight tops preferred to skirts and close-fitting blouses. Long sleeves preferred, even if thin in hot weather. In short, she should forget appearing attractive, with stylish hairdo, cosmetics, etc., and should not wear expensive shoes or designer-named clothes.
Safety is relative – in any part of the world, including in many areas of the United States. Caution is always in order. My one-month stay in Uganda was only in Kampala, Entebbe, and Jinja, all in south Uganda, all on or near the north shore of Lake Victoria. I was on a program for the American Embassy, and so I leaned heavily on their advice. However, I roomed with an American scholar who had spent six years in the country as a research professor, so through the Embassy and my roommate, I got a pretty good picture of the situation.
In many cases, those who go on a mission trip will be offered residence in a local home. In Uganda, this is questionable, as only the very affluent have homes that are safe, and would provide food and water that is safe. Since you ask about hotels, I can hope your friend will have that kind of accommodation. The best, and best-located, is the Sheraton, which is both comfortable and secure. Across the street is a semi-open-air restaurant that is sufficiently upscale to have dependably sanitary food service, and their meals are reasonably priced.
The main religion among the educated population of Uganda is a mixture of Christian Protestant. British colonial rule introduced the Anglican church, and it is still prominent. However, tribal religions are prominent among the lesser educated, and especially in the rural areas.
Back once more to safety – your friend should avoid arriving there at night. Stopover is likely in Nairobi, and it's not a good airport to be in at night, nor is Uganda's airport at Entebbe. Entebbe is south of Kampala about 30-60 minutes depending on traffic, and it's not a road to be on in the dark, even with a trusted driver.
The capital city, Kampala, is a reasonably safe place but security goes downhill from there, even in other cities, and to rock bottom in the bush. Even in Kampala, going out at night is not advisable, nor is it safe to go into certain parts of town, where so-called “street kids” control the streets and are ignored by authorities.
On the other hand, with local advice as to the safer parts of town, and careful discretion. it's possible to get by pretty well in Kampala. My outings to Entebbe and Jinja were in company of a group of trusted locals.
Along the Kenya border to the north and the Congo border to the west, local “lords” rule with total lawlessness. Kidnappings and murder, also enslavement of children, are common. Embassy warnings are “stay far away.” I did. But the more developed areas to the east of the capital, toward the Kenya border, are considerably more secure.
Travel within Kampala is mostly by vans that serve as bus-taxis, operating on a set route, and everyone just crams in. They're called matatus, and on major routes they're safe so long as you guard against pick-pockets. And they're cheap. Regular taxis are also quite reasonable, and generally safe. Speaking of pick-pockets, they're everywhere, as are muggers in some areas. Don't carry passport (make photocopies of title page to carry). Carry only one credit card (MasterCard or Visa, not American Express of Discover), and keep it in a safe place, with photocopies stashed elsewhere. Don't carry much cash, and don't keep it in a single place. If accosted, be willing to give up a cheap billfold with only limited funds in it, and consider it a cheap experience.
Sanitation is pretty bad, stinky storks everywhere eating the garbage along the streets. Lacking prior experience in a third-world country, brush up on the cautions:
1) Don't drink the water. That means no ice. For liquids, stick to dependably bottled water (best is Coca Cola bottler), beer, or major brand soft drinks. Get those in original containers, not a less-than-clean glass. Don't use straws that are already unwrapped; they're recycled. Even with bottled water, make sure the cap-seal is unbroken and the bottom of a plastic bottle has not been plugged with wax (meaning it could have been refilled from a tap). Local beer is quite good and safe; Kenyan “Amarulla” (similar to Irish Cream) is excellent, also safe. Don't get coffee or tea in public -- it's normally only lukewarm, probably made with tap water that hasn't been heated enough to be safe. Coffee is almost always instant. Take a supply of coffee/tea if you like, and if you'll have access to heating safe water for it.
2) No fruits or vegetables that haven't been peeled or cooked under conditions you have reason to trust. That means no lettuce at all, no lettuce or tomato on burgers, no green salads. Fruit juices can be good, if you get them where you have reason to believe they're prepared in sanitary conditions.
3) Wash hands often, especially before eating. If impossible, don't touch food, or with hand-held food, hold it at one place only, eat off the other side, leave the part you handled. Wash face with washrag, not under shower (for fear of ingesting contaminated water through mouth, nose, eyes, ears).
4) Carry lots of Pepto-Bismol tablets (they coat!) and chew a couple after (or even before) eating anything at all questionable, or at the first sign of a rolling tummy.
Well, what I've told you may be rather discouraging, but it's a realistic assessment. Parts of the area can be most attractive; Uganda was once the “pearl of Africa,” a prime destination for vacationing Brits when it was a colony. And I must say I found my stay quite an education, albeit a bit of a nervous one.
The government is said to be democratic, but corruption is so prevalent that one must wonder. The Idi Amin rule (1971-79) was one of the most brutal of all world experiences. He and his henchmen decimated the country -- killing anyone in the way, slaughtering wildlife, burning villages, etc. The country spiraled downward, the infrastructure deteriorated, commerce ground to a virtual halt as foreign investors were deported or sometimes killed. That legacy no doubt still inspires some of the regional “lords” to assume they can accomplish their desires by brute force. Another reason to be cautious in the countryside.
Official government attitudes toward the US are pretty favorable, and the educated look to the US and the UK alike as role models. Those with enough wealth send their young people to one of those two countries for higher education. And yes, as a former British colony, the official language is English. However, there are many tribal languages, and among the lesser educated it's possible that an English-speaker will not be able to communicate.
Government officials and the educated public generally dislike the US government under Republican leadership. Whatever else we may think of Clinton, his foreign policy was popular in Africa. The first Bush president gave Africa little or no attention, and the locals were confident Bush Jr. would be like-father. My recent contact with friends there is that they see the current administration as having no interest in Africa. To speak with admiration about either Bush is not the way to win friends in Uganda.
Well, Barbara, I've told you more than you asked, perhaps more than your friend would want to know. If this seems discouraging, I'm sorry, but I can only be truthful. A mission trip to Uganda is a noble and generous act, and I wish your friend well. With proper caution, it can be both safe and rewarding. Please invite your friend to write to me herself – before the trip if there are any other questions – and especially after the trip, to assure me of her successes. Write directly to <midnamego@aol.com>.
