Uganda's Military Chief Says He Can Close 'ANY Media House' — Then Sends Soldiers to Shut Down NTV and Daily Monitor

Ugandan military chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba deployed soldiers to the Kampala offices of the Daily Monitor newspaper and broadcaster NTV on Sunday, shutting both down in what the National Association of Broadcasters called a blow to the media ecosystem. Both outlets, along with Spark TV, are part of the Nation Media Group, whose parent operations are based in Nairobi, Kenya. By the time of publication, NTV Uganda and Spark TV remained off air, with staff at NMG's Namuwongo headquarters reporting they were unable to enter or leave the premises.

The general announced the closures himself on X, his primary channel for public statements. 'I have the power in Uganda to shut down ANY media house I want to,' he wrote. 'I have had this power since 2017. This power was given to me by my great father.' He added: 'From now on ALL media in Uganda will follow the rules.'

An Authority Beyond His Title

Kainerugaba has served as Uganda's top military commander since 2024, but his influence has visibly expanded following President Yoweri Museveni's swearing-in for a seventh consecutive term on 12 May 2026 at the Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala.

The National Association of Broadcasters confirmed that at least six publishing and broadcasting outlets under Nation Media Group were shuttered. 'We are deeply concerned about this action and its impact on the media ecosystem,' the association said in a statement.

Nation Media Group, which employs more than 500 people in Uganda alone, had not issued an official statement by the time of publication. The Uganda People's Defence Forces, Uganda Police Force and the Uganda Communications Commission had equally not issued any formal statement explaining the legal basis for the operation.

The Succession Shadow

President Yoweri Museveni, who has governed Uganda since 1986, has not publicly named a successor or indicated when he intends to step down. Kainerugaba has made no secret of his presidential ambitions, and his political network, the Patriotic League of Uganda, counts the parliamentary speaker and several government ministers among its members and supporters.

Kainerugaba claimed his authority to shut down any media outlet was personally granted to him by Museveni in 2017. No formal legal instrument or gazette notice has been publicly cited to support this claim, and no independent legal framework has been identified that would grant a military commander such sweeping powers over the civilian press.

A Pattern of Retaliation

Sunday's media closures did not occur in isolation. Earlier this month, Kainerugaba moved against Erias Lukwago, the attorney representing jailed opposition leader Kizza Besigye. Lukwago was taken from his home and later charged with an offence related to the concealment of treason, after he sought to hold the general accountable for his alleged role in violating Besigye's rights.

Besigye himself was seized in Nairobi in 2024 and has since been held on treason charges he maintains are politically motivated.

A Playbook Seen Before

The use of military force to silence independent media is not new to the African continent or beyond. In Zimbabwe, authorities shut down the Daily News in 2003 after the Supreme Court declared it was operating in violation of restrictive press legislation, ending the country's only independent daily under Mugabe. In Belarus, security forces blocked dozens of independent news websites, raided newsrooms and detained journalists following the disputed 2020 presidential election. In Ethiopia, a sustained surge in journalist arrests and newsroom raids under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has seen dozens of reporters forced into exile.

What distinguishes Uganda's situation is the brazenness of the public declaration. Rather than issuing closure orders through regulatory bodies or courts, Kainerugaba broadcast his authority directly on social media, framing it as a personal and hereditary right. That combination of military force and social media bravado marks a notable shift in how authoritarian media suppression is being carried out and communicated in 2026.

Press freedom organisations monitoring sub-Saharan Africa have consistently flagged Uganda as a high-risk environment for independent journalism. Uganda ranks 143rd out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, placing it in the 'very serious' category — a classification the watchdog reserves for countries where journalists face intimidation and violence on a near-daily basis. Sunday's events mark a significant escalation, with the pattern of targeting media, opposition figures and legal representatives pointing to a deliberate effort to silence dissent ahead of an uncertain political transition. Neither Reporters Without Borders nor the Committee to Protect Journalists had issued a formal statement on the closures at the time of publication.