Ugandan military chief orders two major media outlets closed
Muhoozi Kainerugaba said the Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda would need his approval to resume operations, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Uganda’s military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said he had ordered the closure of two major media organizations, a move that puts new pressure on the country’s independent press. Al Jazeera and Reuters reported that the order targeted the Daily Monitor newspaper and NTV Uganda, both owned by Nation Media Group.
Kainerugaba, who is President Yoweri Museveni’s son and serves as Uganda’s chief of defence forces, announced the action on X on Sunday, according to Al Jazeera. He said the outlets would stay closed unless he allowed them to reopen.
In one post cited by Al Jazeera, Kainerugaba wrote, “In Uganda, I do not believe in a free press!” He also said that “ALL bad stories about Uganda” would have to be approved by his office, according to the report.
Security presence at media offices
The Daily Monitor reported that armed security personnel were stationed outside Nation Media Group Uganda’s headquarters in Namuwongo, Kampala, and at its Serena Hotel location, Al Jazeera reported. Staff said people were not being allowed to enter or leave, according to the Daily Monitor account cited by Al Jazeera.
Reuters reported that NTV Uganda, Spark TV and other Nation Media Group-owned television and radio broadcasters were off air in Uganda on Sunday. Both the Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda are among the country’s most prominent private media outlets, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.
Kainerugaba said his authority to close media houses came from his father, President Museveni, who he said gave him that power in 2017, Al Jazeera reported. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces, the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda Communications Commission had not issued statements on the operation at the time of the report, according to Al Jazeera.
Press freedom concerns
The National Association of Broadcasters in Uganda said it was monitoring the situation and was concerned about the effect on the media sector and constitutional rights, Al Jazeera reported. The association’s statement added to alarm over the shutdown order, which was announced by a senior military official rather than a civilian media regulator.
Kainerugaba is widely viewed as a possible successor to Museveni, Al Jazeera reported. Museveni has ruled Uganda since 1986 and was sworn in for a seventh term in May, according to Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera reported that the government has taken action against the same media group before. The Daily Monitor was closed for 10 days in 2013, and NTV Uganda was removed from air in 2007, months after it began broadcasting, following government criticism of its coverage.
Kainerugaba is also known for controversial social media posts, according to Al Jazeera. His latest statements place Uganda’s media under direct threat from the head of the military, with no immediate public explanation from the armed forces, police or communications regulator.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.