Uganda’s military chief orders closure of Daily Monitor, NTV
Uganda’s military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba ordered the closure of Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda, both owned by Kenya’s Nation Media Group, announcing the move on X on Sunday and declaring that he does not believe in a free press. Military personnel were deployed to the group’s Kampala offices, preventing staff from entering or leaving and taking the broadcasters off air. Kainerugaba, son of President Yoweri Museveni and a widely mentioned potential successor, gave no specific reasons but wrote that the press should be guided by ‘cadres of the revolution.’
The shutdown recalls a 2013 action when Uganda’s government shut Daily Monitor for 10 days over succession‑politics reporting, and it echoes Nigeria’s 2021 Twitter suspension—which lasted over seven months before being lifted after negotiations. Press‑freedom advocates argue that such moves erode democratic governance, transparency and public accountability. For Nigerians, the episode highlights how state‑aligned figures can use security apparatus to silence independent media, reinforcing concerns about similar pressures emerging in the region.
What steps should Nigerian journalists, civil society and citizens take to defend press freedom when regional leaders show intolerance for independent reporting, and how can lessons from Uganda’s experience inform local advocacy efforts?