Military personnel have withdrawn from the premises of Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda, ending a physical occupation of the media house’s offices that had lasted for more than a month.
When soldiers first sealed off the company on June 28, they were deployed in large numbers at NMG’s headquarters in Namuwongo and its broadcast studios at the Kampala Serena International Conference Centre. Even after the media house was cleared to resume operations last week, the soldiers remained stationed at both premises.
Following reports that the deployment had ended, our reporter visited the two locations and found no visible military presence, a marked contrast to the heavy deployment witnessed in recent weeks. At the Serena premises, members of staff confirmed that the soldiers had left.
“They left in the morning,” one staff member told our reporter.
The withdrawal was also confirmed in an internal communication from NMG Uganda’s top management to employees.
“Please note that… the military has vacated our premises,” the communication reads in part.
Management, however, cautioned staff against returning to the offices immediately, saying the company’s internal security team was still conducting safety and security assessments before the premises could be fully reopened.
“A lot of checks are ongoing and we shouldn’t compromise that exercise,” the communication stated.
The withdrawal comes days after NMG announced that it had received clearance to resume operations following high-level negotiations with government officials.
In the early hours of June 28, armed personnel from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) sealed off NMG’s headquarters in Namuwongo and its broadcast studios at the Kampala Serena International Conference Centre.
Electricity was disconnected, television and radio transmissions were taken off air, and staff were locked out of the premises.
The operation followed public directives issued by Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. In posts on the social media platform X, Muhoozi announced that the Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda had been shut down and would not reopen without his permission. While no formal explanation was initially given, he later accused the media house of engaging in “activism” and promoting opposition and foreign interests.
The shutdown affected the Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, Spark TV, KFM and Dembe FM, leaving hundreds of journalists and support staff unable to work for about a month.
It was another major siege on the Daily Monitor in just over a decade. In May 2013, security forces occupied the newspaper’s offices for 11 days following the publication of a story on the so-called “Muhoozi Project,” a report linked to presidential succession.
The latest standoff ended through behind-the-scenes negotiations rather than court action. NMG’s majority shareholder, Tanzianian businessman Rostam Azizi, through Taifa Group, which acquired a controlling stake in the company earlier this year, held discussions with both Gen Muhoozi and President Yoweri Museveni. Meetings were held at the Special Forces Command (SFC) headquarters in Entebbe and later at State House.
On July 28, NMG announced that it had been authorised to resume operations. Board chairman Joe Muganda said the company’s television, print, radio and digital services would return in phases. Azizi later publicly thanked President Museveni and Gen Muhoozi for facilitating the reopening.
NMG has since resumed limited operations, with a small number of staff working from its unaffected offices at Commercial Plaza. For now, the newsroom continues to operate digitally, publishing content through its website, YouTube channel and other online platforms, while television broadcasting and publication of the printed newspaper have yet to resume.
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There was no sleep lost by many over the closer of The Monitor. The Monitor of today is not the same with the old good days of Onyango Obbo and one Mwenda, before he sold his soul to the devil. Now every news is prime, which is meant to extort money from their readers. While at it, why has The Observer never been shut down? Not to mention that lately, articles from that Gaslighter and that Smug lady don’t last more than 48 hours online before they are removed.
Haha what a DUMB take.
Can you explain yourself, dumber?
Lysol you have a point. Watch out these days. These dodgy military governors by confiscating modern digital newspaper premises they bring in their intelligence brains to download lots of information for their dodgy spy activities!!! To obtain such information world wide is impossible. Subcribers of this newspaper have all the universal rights to go to the courts of law under such illegal digital malpractices.
Who in his/her right state of mind, can still deny that: Gen MK has taken the button of bloody war against Ugandans and the media, from his father; our bloody 86-years-old dictator and PROBLEM OF AFRICA, Gen Tibuhaburewa?
In other words in a bloodless Palace Coup, Gen MK, has already deposed his aging father. And like the Octopus with tentacles all-over the place, busybody MK is causing harm, abusing office and illegal power: e.g., as the Minister of ICT and National Guidance (UCC) shutdown a media (NMG); the Min of Internal Affairs and sic IGP (deployed SFC); the Min Foreign Affairs; Min. Defence; etc.
Bw’okula ogenda n’olaba ebintu, n’osigala kubinyenyezanga mutwe. Literally, that when you grow, there are certain things people do and leave you wondering!