Kampala, Uganda: Nation Media Group Uganda’s flagship media outlets, Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda, could soon resume operations after Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba revealed that discussions are underway with the country’s allies in the United Kingdom and Europe over reopening the media houses.
The development comes barely a day after heavily armed military personnel raided Nation Media Group Uganda premises in Namuwongo in the wee hours of Sunday morning, disrupting newspaper printing, television broadcasts, and radio operations.
By Sunday evening, veteran journalist and member of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) Central Executive Committee, Andrew Mwenda, revealed that he had held discussions with Gen Muhoozi regarding the closure.
“I have just held discussions with Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and we, as leaders of PLU, have agreed that we shall reopen both Daily Monitor and NTV soon. However, we shall first have discussions with the management of both sister companies. I will inform them when we can have this meeting,” Mwenda posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Mwenda’s statement would later be shared by Gen Muhoozi, who disclosed that consultations had expanded beyond Uganda.
“As comrade @AndrewMwenda said we are having discussions with our allies in the UK and Europe about re-opening both NTV and Daily Monitor. We shall take the results of these discussions to Mzee for final approval,” Gen Muhoozi wrote.
The latest remarks mark a shift from Gen Muhoozi’s earlier posts in which he declared that he had ordered the closure of the two media outlets and stated that they would remain shut pending his approval.
Earlier on Sunday morning, Nation Media Group, in a statement posted via its digital platforms, confirmed that its offices in Namuwongo and at the Kampala Serena International Conference Centre had been rendered inaccessible following what it described as an overnight military raid.
The company said electricity had been disconnected, disrupting normal operations across its television, radio, and newspaper platforms, but assured audiences that it would continue publishing through its digital channels.
The shutdown, which took effect at around 1 am on Sunday, has attracted widespread attention from journalists, lawyers, civil society organisations, and media freedom advocates, with the Uganda Law Society describing the events as part of a broader deterioration in the rule of law.
The military operation also prompted questions about the legal basis of the closure, although neither the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) nor the government had issued a formal explanation by Sunday evening.
But now Gen Muhoozi’s latest comments suggest that negotiations involving PLU leaders, Nation Media Group management, and international partners could pave the way for the restoration of normal operations.
However, it remains unclear when the proposed meeting with Nation Media Group management will take place or what conditions, if any, may be attached to the reopening.
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