Ugandan Army Chief Shuts Down Independent Media, Declares He Does Not Believe in Free Press

Uganda's independent media is under severe pressure after the country's army chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba — son of President Yoweri Museveni — ordered the forced closure of several prominent news outlets in the early hours of Sunday. Armed soldiers were deployed to the Kampala headquarters of the Nation Media Group, one of East Africa's most influential media conglomerates, blocking staff from entering or leaving the premises.

NTV Uganda and Spark TV were taken off air, leaving viewers with blank screens bearing the message "video unavailable", whilst the Daily Monitor newspaper described the situation as a "military siege." The outlets confirmed the crackdown on their websites and social media pages, though no official government reason was provided for the action.

General Kainerugaba was unapologetic in posts made on X, stating plainly: "I DO NOT believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution." He further claimed his father had granted him the authority to shut down any media house at will, warning that NTV and the Daily Monitor would "not re-open without my permission."

A Pattern of Press Suppression

This is not the first time these outlets have faced state pressure. The Daily Monitor was raided by police in 2013 after publishing a letter allegedly linking senior government officials to a plan to install Kainerugaba as his father's successor — a scheme dubbed the "Muhoozi Project." NTV was similarly forced off air in 2007 over coverage deemed unfavourable by the government. President Museveni himself once described the Daily Monitor as an "enemy and evil newspaper."

President Museveni, now 81, seized power roughly four decades ago as a rebel leader and won a disputed seventh term in office during January's elections. The United Nations noted the polls were conducted in an "environment marked by widespread repression and intimidation against the political opposition." Opposition groups and human rights organisations have long accused General Kainerugaba of playing a central role in sustaining an authoritarian system of governance.

The development has drawn concern from press freedom advocates across the African continent. For Ghana and other democracies in the region, the Ugandan situation serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of media independence where political dynasties hold unchecked authority.