Army Vacates Nation Media Premises After Month-Long Occupation

Soldiers have finally departed from the premises of Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda, ending a significant occupation of the media house’s facilities that spanned over a month. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) had sealed off NMG’s headquarters in Namuwongo and its broadcast studios at the Kampala Serena International Conference Centre on June 28th.

Initial reports of the military’s departure were confirmed by staff at the Serena premises and through internal communications from NMG management to employees. Despite the visible absence of military personnel, NMG management advised staff to await further safety assessments before returning to the offices.

The closure, which affected Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, Spark TV, KFM, and Dembe FM, was reportedly ordered by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. He accused the media house of “activism” and promoting “opposition and foreign interests” on social media.

This incident marks the second major occupation of the Daily Monitor’s offices, with a similar event occurring in 2013. The recent standoff concluded through behind-the-scenes negotiations involving NMG’s majority shareholder, Rostam Azizi, and high-level government officials, including President Yoweri Museveni and Gen Muhoozi.

NMG announced its clearance to resume operations on July 28th, with services set to return in phases. While limited operations have resumed from unaffected offices and online platforms, full television broadcasting and print publication are still pending.

Source: https://observer.ug/news/army-withdraws-from-nation-media-premises