Uganda Army Chief Shuts Down Major Media Outlets

Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, ordered the shutdown of two of the country’s most prominent media outlets on Sunday, deploying armed soldiers to the premises of the Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda and declaring that he does not believe in a free press.

Kainerugaba, the eldest son of President Yoweri Museveni, said the Daily Monitor, Uganda’s largest independent daily newspaper, and NTV Uganda, one of the country’s largest private broadcasters, would not reopen without his permission.

“In Uganda, I do not believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution,” he wrote in a series of posts on X. “From now on ALL bad stories about Uganda have to be cleared by my office!”

The Daily Monitor reported that armed security personnel were deployed outside Nation Media Group’s headquarters in Namuwongo, Kampala and its Serena Hotel location, with staff reporting that no one was being allowed to enter or leave.

NTV Uganda, Spark TV and other NMG television and radio broadcasters were all down in the country on Sunday.

At least six publishing and broadcasting outlets, all under Nation Media Group, were closed, according to the National Association of Broadcasters.

Kainerugaba claimed the authority to shut down any media outlet had been granted to him by his father in 2017.

“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 Museveni,” he wrote.

Kainerugaba has served as the top military commander since 2024.

In recent days, following Museveni’s swearing-in for a seventh consecutive term, he has strengthened his grip on power through a series of directives and orders usually reserved for the head of state.

He did not give specific reasons for the shutdown of the two outlets.

Uganda’s National Association of Broadcasters said it was closely monitoring the situation and was “deeply concerned about this action and its impact on the media ecosystem” and the rights enshrined in the constitution.

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces, Uganda Police Force and Uganda Communications Commission had not issued a formal statement at the time of reporting.

The government of Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, previously shut down the Daily Monitor for 10 days in 2013 over reports relating to presidential succession, and took NTV Uganda off air in 2007 following government criticism of its coverage.