Kampala, Uganda: The National Unity Platform (NUP) has condemned the continued military siege and closure of media houses owned by Nation Media Group Uganda, describing the operation as an unconstitutional attack on press freedom and warning of what it called a deepening constitutional crisis in the country.
In a statement issued on Sunday, June 28, the opposition party led by exiled politician Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, denounced the closure of NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor, Spark TV, Dembe FM and other Nation Media Group platforms, which have remained inaccessible following a military deployment that began in the early hours of Sunday.
“The National Unity Platform strongly condemns the military’s arbitrary closure and continuing siege of NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor, Spark TV, Dembe FM, and other media houses under the Nation Media Group that started at dawn today, Sunday, 28th June 2026,” the statement reads.
“The closure, enforced outside any known legal framework, is a primitive attack on press freedom and the citizens’ right to access information, moreover by a regime now committing even worse tyranny than what it supposedly sought to end when it waged the 1980s war,” the party added.
NUP expressed solidarity with journalists, editors, management and other employees of the affected media organisations, noting that the closure would also have economic consequences for workers and businesses that depend on the media houses.
“We stand in solidarity with the journalists, editors, staff, leadership and audience of the affected media houses, and empathise with all who are going to bear the related economic losses,” the statement added.
The opposition party further urged Ugandans, political actors, civil society organisations and other institutions to prepare for what it described as increased political repression.
“We urge all citizens and institutions, particularly political actors and members of civil society, to prepare for increased repression in the coming days owing to the deepening constitutional crisis in the country.”
Bobi Wine, nevertheless, expressed confidence that Ugandans’ aspirations for democracy would ultimately prevail.
“Historically, the determination of Ugandans to be free has outlasted every regime that thought it was powerful enough to stay forever or clever enough to mutate into another. We remain confident that this time, too, the people’s aspirations for a free and democratic country shall prevail.”
The statement from NUP adds to growing criticism following the military deployment at Nation Media Group Uganda’s premises.
Earlier on Sunday, the media house announced that its Kampala offices had been rendered inaccessible following what it described as an overnight military operation that disrupted newspaper printing, television broadcasts, and radio programming.
But Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba later indicated that discussions were underway with allies in the United Kingdom and Europe regarding the possible reopening of Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda, adding that recommendations from the talks would be presented to President Yoweri Museveni for final approval.
By press time on Monday morning, the government had not issued a formal statement explaining the legal basis for the military deployment or the continued closure of the media outlets.
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