Incidents of armed vehicle hijackings and armed highway robbery are frequent throughout the country. Although these attacks are often violent, victims are generally injured only if they resist. In September 1999, one American was murdered during a highway robbery. U.S. Embassy employees are generally advised against using roads at night in non-urban areas. In the past, there was a series of incidents on secondary roads in which vehicles were fired upon without warning or provocation.
Females traveling alone are particularly susceptible to crime.
An American woman was murdered in 1998 in a four-star Kampala hotel. Several violent attacks occurred in Kampala and other parts of the country in 1998. Crimes such as pickpocketing, purse snatching and thefts from parked vehicles or vehicles stalled in traffic jams are common. These offenses also occur on public transportation. Passengers should not accept food or drink from a stranger, even a child, because such food may contain narcotics used to incapacitate a victim and facilitate a robbery.