Newsletters
Uganda's military chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba ordered the shutdown of major outlets owned by Nation Media Group, with troops sent on Sunday morning to force its TV, radio and news channels off the air and guard its offices.
The affected outlets include NTV Uganda, Spark TV and the Daily Monitor, which have long been among Uganda's more independent media voices despite operating under government restrictions.
Kainerugaba, who is also the son of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, announced the move on X, the US social media platform, after earlier threats to "switch off" the outlets.
He said he did not believe in a free press and argued that the media should be guided by "cadres of the revolution," a phrase that generally refers to loyal members of a political movement.
The shutdown followed critical Nation Media Group reporting on Kainerugaba's tenure, governance, human rights and security issues.
There has been no formal explanation from the Ugandan government or from the Uganda Communications Commission, the state body that regulates broadcasting and communications.
That silence has raised questions over due process, as broadcast disruptions would normally involve commission procedures rather than direct military action.
Nation Media Group has not yet issued a detailed response, as its premises remain under military guard.
In a thread on X, Kainerugaba claimed he had the authority to close any media organization in Uganda, using the term "media house," which is commonly used in East Africa to describe a media company or outlet.
"I have the power in Uganda to shut down ANY media house I want to. I have had this power since 2017. This power was given to me by my great father President @KagutaMuseveni . NTV and Daily Monitor are learning about it today. From now on ALL media in Uganda will follow the rules!" he wrote.
He also ordered the arrest of Nation Media Group Managing Director Susan Nsibirwa through X.
"I hear there is a small girl called 'Sue....'. We are looking for her. We will discipline her. She cannot cause chaos in our country. All police patrols are instructed to arrest her on sight!" he wrote.
The move comes against a wider background of tensions between the Ugandan government and independent media, including previous bans on Nation Media Group coverage of Museveni's events, internet shutdowns, social media restrictions, arrests and self-censorship.
Media watchdogs and human rights groups have condemned recent actions targeting independent media in Uganda, describing them as serious violations of press freedom and signs of deepening authoritarian tendencies.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
2 min read
