Viewers who turned to NTV Uganda in the early hours of Sunday June 28, 2026, were met with blank screens and the message ‘video not available.’ It was not a technical glitch but a glimpse of power.
Uganda’s media freedom came under renewed scrutiny on Sunday after the Country’s military reportedly shut down nation media group (NMG) Uganda’s broadcast and print operations following an order issued by Chief of Defence Forces , General Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
The dramatic move saw NTV Uganda , Saprk TV and the Daily Monitor forced off air after armed security personnel surrounded the company’s premises in Kampala, as well as the Kampala Serena Hotel.
Muhoozi posted on X , “NTV and Monitor are being shut down from today !” In a subsequent post he added : “Both NTV and Monitor will not reopen without my permission .”
The Chief Of Defence also declared that “All bad stories about Uganda have to be cleared by my office ,” and claimed that president Museveni has approved his plan.
The order, issued not through any judicial process or regulatory body but through posts on social media by a serving military commander, sent a chill through press freedom circles across East Africa.
Those who followed Uganda’s media landscape will recognize this moment not as an aberration, but as the latest chapter in a long and well documented campaign against independent journalism.
NTV Uganda had recently aired several news features and documentaries examining the tenure of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
The broadcast revisited controversial episodes from his military career, his public statements from social media and long-running debates surrounding governance, human rights and Uganda’s political future, provoking strong reactions from both NRM supporters and opposition figures.
In March 2025, NMG outlets were barred from covering presidential events, a restriction that persisted.
That same year, Daily Monitor’s investigation into alleged fraud at the Ministry of ICT-nepotism and ghost workers siphoning Parish Development Model Funds prompted State House scrutiny but yielded no accountability for perpetrators.
Then in October 2025, the walls closed in further. The gates of the parliament swung shut on journalists from Nation Media Group Uganda from covering house proceedings.
Security personnel at the entrance confiscated accreditation cards and turned away crews, citing an indefinite suspension of access. The directive reportedly came from the speaker , Hon Anita Among.
Before the January 2026 elections, digital spaces were also squeezed. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights raised alarm over a UCC directive dated January 13,2026, instructing all licensed Mobile Network Operators and Internet Service providers to suspend public internet services access, alongside the suspension of permits for several civil society organizations including Chapter Four Uganda , the Human Rights Network for Journalists and the African Centre for Media Excellence.
The Ugandan government also announced a ban on the live broadcasting of “unlawful processions,” riots and violent demonstrations ahead of the 2026 elections.
NMG’s journalists, for their part, have vowed to continue. “We will not be silenced ,” one said ,”We serve the people not politicians.”
Written by Tucker Ochieng
