Uganda’s Army Chief Shuts Down Nation Media Group, Declares “No Free Press”

Uganda’s leading independent media conglomerate says it has been placed under “military siege” after the country’s army chief — Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of President Yoweri Museveni — ordered the shutdown of multiple TV stations, newspapers, and radio outlets.

The Daily Monitor reported that armed soldiers had surrounded its headquarters in Kampala, while NTV and Spark TV were abruptly taken off air. All three outlets belong to the Nation Media Group, one of East Africa’s most influential media organisations.

The precise trigger for the crackdown remains unclear. However, in posts on X, Gen Kainerugaba declared: “I DO NOT believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution.”

Opposition figures and human rights groups have long accused him of playing a central role in what they describe as an increasingly repressive political system under President Museveni. Supporters of the president argue that the family has ensured stability and economic progress.

Museveni, 81, a former rebel commander, has ruled Uganda for nearly four decades. He secured a seventh term in January’s disputed elections, amid widespread speculation that he is grooming his son as successor.

Gen Kainerugaba claimed on X that his “great father” had granted him the authority to shut down “any media house I want to,” adding that NTV and the Daily Monitor would “not re-open without my permission.” “From now on ALL media in Uganda will follow the rules!” he wrote.

The Daily Monitor said the closures occurred “during the wee hours of Sunday,” with staff reporting that no one was allowed to enter or leave the premises. Viewers of NTV Uganda and Spark TV were met with blank screens reading “video unavailable.”

The newspaper noted that this is not the first confrontation between the government and independent media. In 2013, police raided the Daily Monitor over a leaked letter alleging a succession plan known as the “Muhoozi Project.” NTV was also taken off air in 2007 after the government accused it of negative coverage. “Over the years, Museveni has repeatedly criticised the Daily Monitor, at one point calling it an ‘enemy and evil newspaper’,” the outlet recalled.

Uganda’s National Broadcasters Association said it would seek clarification from authorities, arguing that the shutdown violates constitutional protections.

Opposition leader Bobi Wine, now in exile, said Gen Kainerugaba had “moved to silence Uganda’s remaining independent voices,” describing the situation as “a country under open military rule, where fear replaces law and force replaces accountability.”

During January’s fiercely contested election, Gen Kainerugaba sparked outrage after posting — and later deleting — threats to mutilate Bobi Wine. The campaign period saw repeated disruptions of opposition rallies, with security forces at times opening fire.

The United Nations later said the election took place in an environment of “widespread repression and intimidation against the political opposition.” Ugandan election officials maintained that the poll was free and fair.

Source: BBC