Uganda's leading independent media house, Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda, came under an unprecedented security operation in the early hours of Sunday after Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced that its major media outlets had been shut down.
Armed security personnel surrounded the company's offices in Namuwongo, Kampala, barricading the premises and preventing journalists and other staff from entering or leaving. The operation disrupted broadcasts by NTV Uganda and Spark TV, while publication and newsroom operations at the Daily Monitor were also affected. Radio stations KFM and Dembe FM were reportedly disrupted during the operation as well.
The crackdown followed a series of posts on X by Gen. Muhoozi, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni. Shortly after 1 a.m., he declared that "NTV and Monitor are being shut down from today," before adding in a subsequent post that the outlets "will not re-open without my permission." In another post, he stated that he does not believe in a free press, arguing that the media should instead be guided by what he described as "cadres of the revolution."
As daylight broke on Sunday, television viewers reported that NTV Uganda and Spark TV had disappeared from pay-TV platforms, displaying blank screens or "video unavailable" messages. Staff inside the media house said security officers had sealed off the premises as uncertainty grew over the fate of the company's operations.
Neither the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), the Uganda Police Force nor the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) had, by Sunday morning, issued an official statement explaining the legal basis for the shutdown or whether any court order or regulatory directive had been issued.
The incident marks one of the most significant confrontations between the Ugandan state and independent media in recent years. Nation Media Group Uganda owns several of the country's most influential news platforms, including NTV Uganda, Spark TV, the Daily Monitor, KFM, Dembe FM, The EastAfrican, Ennyanda newspaper and other digital media operations.
The shutdown comes after days of escalating tensions between Gen. Muhoozi and Nation Media Group, during which he repeatedly threatened to close the company's outlets over their coverage. The dispute follows months of strained relations between Ugandan authorities and the media house, with its journalists previously facing restrictions on covering Parliament and presidential events ahead of the country's 2026 elections.
The developments have reignited concerns over press freedom in Uganda, where the Daily Monitor has previously faced government raids and temporary closure. Media rights advocates are expected to closely monitor the situation as calls grow for authorities to explain the legal justification for the security operation and restore the affected outlets.