Military personnel on Sunday morning sealed off the offices of Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda, effectively disrupting operations at NTV Uganda, the Daily Monitor newspaper and the company’s other media outlets.
The operation came hours after the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, posted a series of messages on social media announcing that the media house would be shut down after being authorised by his father, President Yoweri Museveni.
In a post published at 1:07 am, Gen Muhoozi wrote: “NTV and Monitor are being shut down from today!” He later added, “Both NTV and Monitor will not reopen without my permission.”
In another post, he stated: “In Uganda, I DO NOT believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution.”
According to staff members, military personnel were deployed at both the Kampala Serena Conference Centre, which houses NTV Uganda and Spark TV studios, and Nation Media Group’s headquarters in Namuwongo, where the Daily Monitor, 93.3 KFM and 90.4 Dembe FM operate.
A staff member told URN that by 5:00 am, the Serena premises had been sealed off, preventing employees from accessing their workplaces.
Another senior staff member, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly, said security personnel had switched off both the main electricity supply and the backup generator at the facility.
“You can go there, but you should be cautious. From the outside, the entrance looks normal, but they are not allowing anyone in. Management is expected to issue a formal statement in the coming hours,” the source said.
At the Namuwongo offices, staff who reported for duty early were also denied entry by security personnel. The security deployment followed a series of online posts in which Gen Muhoozi accused NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor of persistently insulting him and President Yoweri Museveni.
Nation Media Group Uganda operates some of the country’s largest media platforms, including the Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, Spark TV, 93.3 KFM, 90.4 Dembe FM, Ennyanda and other publications. The company employs more than 500 people in Uganda.
By the time of publication, Nation Media Group Uganda had not issued an official statement on the operation. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), Uganda Police Force and Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) had also not publicly explained the reasons for the deployment.
The incident adds to a history of confrontations between Nation Media Group Uganda and state authorities. In 2013, police raided the Daily Monitor and Dembe FM offices following the publication of a letter linked to Muhoozi succession politics, keeping the premises closed for more than a week.
In 2007, NTV Uganda was temporarily taken off air months after its launch following government criticism of its coverage.
Over the years, President Museveni has also publicly criticised the Daily Monitor, at one point describing it as an “enemy and evil newspaper” because of its reporting.