Uganda army chief orders media shutdown, declares no belief in free press
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
Uganda's army chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also President Yoweri Museveni's son, announced on Sunday the shutdown of independent media outlets, including NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor. Kainerugaba stated on X that he does not believe in a free press in Uganda, asserting that the press should be guided by "cadres of the revolution." The Daily Monitor reported being under "military siege" with armed soldiers outside its Kampala offices, affecting its other outlets like Dembe FM, Spark TV, KFM, and The East African. A senior NTV reporter confirmed that military personnel ordered staff to leave and prevented entry or exit. The military raid occurred early Sunday, causing power disconnection and operational disruption. Kainerugaba ordered the arrest of NMG Managing Director Susan Nsibirwa, an order he later retracted. He accused the Nation group of "lifetime of insults" and claimed his father approved the shutdown. The Daily Monitor, launched in 1992, has been a significant independent newspaper and was previously shut down in 2013. Rights groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Vocal Africa, condemned the action, calling it a "dangerous silencing of the press" and an escalation against independent media. Kainerugaba insisted the outlets would not reopen without his permission and stated that all media in Uganda would follow his rules, adding that he intended to make more arrests. Uganda ranks 143 out of 180 countries on the Reporters without Borders pr
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