KAMPALA: Uganda’s military chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has ordered the shutdown of two major independent media organisations, sparking a security crackdown and raising concerns over press freedom in the East African nation.
Kainerugaba, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni, announced on Sunday that he had directed the closure of the Daily Monitor newspaper and NTV Uganda television station, both owned by Kenya-based Nation Media Group.
In posts on the social media platform X, he said he did not believe in a free press and insisted that the media should be “guided by cadres of the revolution.” He did not provide specific reasons for the shutdown order.
Following the directive, armed security personnel were deployed to Nation Media Group facilities in Kampala, where staff reported being blocked from entering or leaving the premises. The outlets’ broadcast operations were subsequently taken off air.
NTV Uganda and Daily Monitor are among Uganda’s most prominent independent media organisations, with nationwide reach across television, print, and digital platforms.
Neither the Ugandan military nor government officials immediately issued a detailed public statement on the shutdown or the deployment of security forces.
The move comes amid growing scrutiny of Kainerugaba’s expanding role in national affairs and heightened political tensions in Uganda, where President Museveni has remained in power since 1986.