NTV Uganda and Daily Monitor Closure: Muhoozi Meets NMG Top Bosses

ENTEBBE, Uganda — Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, on Wednesday held high-level talks with senior executives of Nation Media Group (NMG) as efforts intensified to resolve the closure of NTV Uganda, the Daily Monitor, Spark TV, KFM and other affiliated media outlets.

The meeting at the Special Forces Command headquarters in Entebbe marks the most significant development since security forces shut down Nation Media Group’s Ugandan operations over the weekend, an unprecedented move that has triggered widespread debate about press freedom, media independence and the military’s role in regulating news organizations in Uganda.

Present at the meeting were Nation Media Group shareholder Mr. Rostam Aziz and his son, Mr. Saam Aziz, together with Ms. Georgia Mutagaywa, Chief of Staff at Taarifa Limited. Veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda and the Acting UPDF/Defence Public Information Director, Col. Chris Magezi, also attended the discussions.

Neither the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) nor Nation Media Group immediately disclosed the outcome of the meeting or indicated whether an agreement had been reached to reopen NTV Uganda, the Daily Monitor and the company’s other media platforms.

The talks come days after armed security personnel sealed off Nation Media Group’s headquarters in Namuwongo and halted operations at NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor, Spark TV, KFM, Dembe FM and other affiliated outlets following public directives issued by Gen. Muhoozi on social media.

The closure has attracted widespread condemnation from media rights organizations, journalists and civil society groups, who argue that the shutdown represents one of the most serious challenges to press freedom in Uganda in recent years.

Nation Media Group, East Africa’s largest independent media company headquartered in Nairobi, has since confirmed that it is engaging Ugandan authorities in an effort to restore normal operations. The company has expressed optimism that the dispute can be resolved through dialogue while continuing to cooperate with government agencies.

The shutdown followed a security operation involving military personnel who restricted access to the company’s offices and broadcast facilities after Gen. Muhoozi announced that the media houses had been closed pending what authorities have described as an ongoing security investigation ordered by President Yoweri Museveni.

Although officials have released few details about the investigation, the closure has sparked concern both within Uganda and internationally, with press freedom advocates warning that prolonged suspension of one of the country’s largest media organizations could have far-reaching implications for independent journalism and access to information.

Wednesday’s meeting in Entebbe is widely seen as the strongest indication yet that direct negotiations are underway between the military leadership and Nation Media Group, raising expectations that NTV Uganda, the Daily Monitor and the company’s other outlets could soon resume operations after several days off the air.

Muhoozi has recently said Uganda was consulting the UK and EU to reopen Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda, as reported Here.

Meanwhile, a top US senator has demanded a review of the security cooperation with Uganda over Muhoozi’s actions, as detailed Here.

Relatedly, read our fact check story on claims that Muhoozi announced overthrowing his father Museveni and declaring himself Uganda’s president HERE.