Military Seals NTV Uganda and Daily Monitor Offices Following Gen. Muhoozi's Online Declarations

Operations at Nation Media Group’s Ugandan outlets, including NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor newspaper, were brought to a standstill on Sunday morning as military personnel occupied their offices. Access to the premises was denied to staff, effectively halting all broadcasts and publications.

The military action appears to be a direct consequence of a series of social media posts made by the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, in the early hours of Sunday. Gen. Muhoozi declared that NTV and the Daily Monitor were being shut down and would not resume operations without his explicit permission.

In his posts, Gen. Muhoozi expressed a strong stance against a free press in Uganda, stating, “In Uganda, I DO NOT believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution.” He further asserted, “NTV and Monitor are being shut down from today!” and “Both NTV and Monitor will not reopen without my permission.”

Reports from staff indicated that military personnel were stationed at both the Kampala Serena Conference Centre, where NTV Uganda and Spark TV are located, and the Nation Media Group headquarters in Namuwongo, which houses the Daily Monitor, 93.3 KFM, and 90.4 Dembe FM. Security personnel were observed preventing employees from entering their workplaces, and in some instances, power supplies, including backup generators, were reportedly switched off.

While Gen. Muhoozi cited persistent insults directed at him and President Yoweri Museveni as justification for the shutdown, neither the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), the Uganda Police Force, nor the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) have issued official statements explaining the military presence and disruption of media operations.

This incident is not the first time Nation Media Group Uganda has faced government scrutiny. In 2013, police raided the Daily Monitor and Dembe FM offices, and NTV Uganda experienced temporary disruptions in 2007. President Museveni has also previously criticized the Daily Monitor’s reporting.

Source: https://observer.ug/news/muhoozi-shuts-down-ntv-daily-monitor