Ugandan military forces have shut down the country’s main independent media outlets on the direct orders of the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Armed security forces deployed outside the Kampala headquarters of the Nation Media Group (NMG), forcing major television and radio stations off the air and halting newspaper distribution.
The National Association of Broadcasters confirmed that at least six publishing and broadcasting branches managed by Nation Media Group have been forced to cease operations
The Government’s Stated Reasons; Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba—who is the eldest son of President Yoweri Museveni and serves as the country’s top military commander—announced the closures in a series of posts on the social media platform X.
Rejection of Press Freedom: Kainerugaba explicitly stated that he does “not believe in a free press” and declared that Ugandan media “should be guided by cadres of the revolution”.
Unilateral Control: He stated that the affected media operations would remain closed indefinitely and will “not re-open without my permission”.
Allegations of Misreporting: Government officials cited “persistent instances of misreporting” regarding President Museveni’s public schedules and wealth-creation tours as the primary rationale for blacklisting NMG journalists.