Ugandan army chief orders closure of leading media outlets
via The Namibian5 min read
Uganda's leading independent media group, Nation Media Group, has reported that its outlets, including The Daily Monitor newspaper, NTV, and Spark TV, are under "military siege" after the army chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, ordered their closure. Armed soldiers are stationed outside the headquarters in Kampala, and NTV and Spark TV have been taken off air. General Kainerugaba, who is the son of President Yoweri Museveni, stated on X, "I do not believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution," and claimed he has the "power to shut down any media house I want to." He added that NTV and Daily Monitor "would not re-open without my permission." The Daily Monitor reported that staff were not allowed to enter or leave the compound. This incident follows previous raids on The Daily Monitor in 2013 and NTV in 2007. Opposition figures and human rights groups accuse Kainerugaba of being part of a repressive regime. Defeated opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine, now in exile, stated that Kainerugaba has "moved to silence Uganda鈥檚 remaining independent voices," describing the situation as "a country under open military rule." Uganda's National Broadcasters Association plans to seek clarification from the government, citing a violation of the constitution.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
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