Kampala - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Business casual/formal. Ugandans dress business formal and love an excuse to dress up. - Jan 2024
Smart dress; everyone is always very put together and there is not a local culture of casual clothes. - Jun 2022
It depends on the office and job that you have. If you are planning to attend a formal event, yes. Side note: You may find a great dry cleaner, however, I did not find a trustworthy dry cleaner, so I avoided using them after having two ruined clothing. Our friend’s items were lost or partially returned. - Dec 2021
Formal dress only required for Marine Ball. Dress at work is mostly business casual, with some offices/positions going for business attire. You can dress casually almost everywhere here. - Aug 2020
Business casual. - Nov 2019
Formal/business attire expected in professional settings. Casual wear was fine in restaurants. - Oct 2019
It isn't overly conservative but better to not wear bare midriffs or short-shorts. We see a lot of teenagers wearing those, though. Formal dress is required only for the various evening events (e.g. Marine Ball.) - Mar 2019
Formal society in that people like to be well-dressed. You can get away with a bit more casual approach, but American shabby is never really acceptable. - Feb 2019
It's business-type or slightly dressy here both at work and in public. Ugandans like to dress 'smart'. Formal dress is rarely needed but there are embassy functions for which it's needed. - Jan 2019
Mostly business casual. - Dec 2018
Dress is business casual at the embassy. Ugandans are more informal in their dress, however, ladies do seem to dress up. - Oct 2018
Less casual than other embassies. In public places you can wear normal clothes, but women will get some stares if they wear shorts. - Sep 2018
We have embassy events so yes formal is needed. Otherwise wear what you want. Women who wear shorts or dresses anove the knee will be stared at but I’ve never been bothered besides that. - Sep 2018
Business casual is the typical Embassy dress. - Aug 2018
The dress is not very formal, pretty much anything goes in Kampala, but it's a bit more conservative upcountry. - Jun 2018
Formal dress is rarely if ever required besides the Marine Corps Ball. Work is casual Friday and other days it is nice but not "suit and tie." The weather here is gorgeous. It rarely gets hot, but you do have to contend with a lot of dust and two rainy seasons so I would plan for those. - Jun 2018
Work: business. Public: casual but conservative. Ugandan women generally wear long skirts, though that is not expected of expats. The recently enacted Anti-Pornography Act could be interpreted to outlaw "sexy" clothing such as mini-skirts and low-cut tops (really, anything that a man could perceive as a turn-on--yes, that vague). That said, you'll still see plenty of revealing clothing at bars, nightclubs, concerts, etc. - Jun 2014
Shorts and t-shirt. - Oct 2013
Business to business-casual at work. Super casual in social settings. Women to tend to dress more conservatively; it is just a conservative society. Perhaps leave your short shorts at home. Otherwise, bring lots of cargo pants, flip flops, and dry fit tops. - Mar 2013
Conservative, business. Women always wear skirts past the knee. Men wear trousers and dress shirts as the norm. Government employees will wear full suits with jackets and ties, even when it's hot! You need a jacket for government meetings, too. - Sep 2009
