Uganda's Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has ordered the closure of NTV Uganda, Spark TV and the Daily Monitor, escalating a confrontation between the military and independent media houses after security officers raided the Nation Media Group Uganda headquarters in Kampala and halted broadcasting operations.
The operation took place during the night at the Nation Media Group (NMG) offices in Namuwongo, Kampala, where heavily armed security officers surrounded the premises, sealed off the building and stopped employees from entering or leaving.
The action disrupted television broadcasts and prevented the publication of the Daily Monitor newspaper.
The military operation came only hours after General Muhoozi, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni, announced on his X account that he intended to shut down the media outlets.
"Mzee has approved my plan to close both NTV and Monitor. We are moving immediately!" he wrote.
In another post, he declared that his office would take control over media coverage in the country.
"From now on, ALL bad stories about Uganda have to be cleared by my office! In Uganda, I DO NOT believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution," he added.
According to the Daily Monitor, security officers arrived at the Nation Media Group offices shortly after midnight before taking control of the premises. The officers reportedly blocked all movement into and out of the building while employees inside remained confined as the operation continued.
The security deployment forced NTV Uganda and its sister station, Spark TV, off the air. On Sunday morning, viewers attempting to watch the stations were instead met with blank screens displaying the message, "video unavailable."
NTV Uganda later confirmed that its television broadcasts had been interrupted from around 5:00 am local time. The broadcaster also released photographs showing soldiers stationed outside its offices, saying its operations had been suspended following the security operation.
Reports further indicated that the military presence also affected the publication of the Daily Monitor, one of Uganda's leading independent newspapers, while security personnel continued to control access to the Nation Media Group offices.
Nation Media Group, which is headquartered in Kenya, is East Africa's largest independent media company and operates several media outlets across Uganda. Besides NTV Uganda, Spark TV and the Daily Monitor, the company also owns The East African, 93.3 KFM, 90.4 Dembe FM, Ennyanda newspaper and Nation Courier, among other investments.
The closure of the media houses drew criticism from opposition leader Bobi Wine, who accused General Muhoozi of using state power, with the backing of President Museveni, to silence independent journalism.
"Muhoozi, acting with his father's full approval, has moved to silence Uganda's remaining independent voices by shutting down NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor, Dembe FM and Spark TV," Bobi Wine said.
He said the military operation showed what he described as growing authoritarianism in Uganda and warned that independent media were increasingly coming under pressure.
The latest action against Nation Media Group comes at a time when concerns over press freedom and freedom of expression in Uganda continue to attract attention from rights groups and political leaders. The shutdown of the broadcaster and newspaper has disrupted news coverage across the country and raised fresh questions about the independence of the media and the relationship between the military and news organisations.
By Sunday, security officers were still deployed outside the Nation Media Group offices, while the broadcaster remained off air, and the publication of the Daily Monitor had been disrupted. There was no immediate indication of when the affected media outlets would be allowed to resume normal operations.
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