Daily Monitor headquarters in Namuwongo have been besieged by security operatives
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), in consultation with Government officials, have reportedly agreed to reopen Nation Media Group (NMG) outlets, including NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor.
This, it has been reported, followed high-level intervention by Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who however warned that the reopening will only take effect after formal discussions are held with the management of the media house.
The breakthrough followed hours of negotiations between the PLU leadership and Gen. Muhoozi after armed security personnel raided and shut down NMG’s headquarters in Namuwongo and transmission facilities at Serena Hotel, forcing NTV Uganda and Spark TV off air. The operation also disrupted broadcasts on KFM and Dembe FM.
Andrew Mwenda, the PLU spokesperson announced the development after engaging directly with the military chief.
“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,” Mwenda posted.
“However, we shall first have discussions with the management of both sister companies. I will inform them when we can have this meeting,” he added.
Shifting shadows
The agreement signals a shift from the earlier hardline position adopted by Gen. Muhoozi, who had publicly declared that the media outlets would remain closed until he personally authorized their reopening.
Hours before the security operation, the CDF posted on X: “NTV and Monitor are being shut down from today!”
He later reinforced his position, writing: “Both NTV and Monitor will not re-open without my permission.”
Following consultations with the PLU leadership, Gen. Muhoozi however indicated that dialogue had become the preferred route toward resolving the impasse.
According to sources within PLU, the forthcoming meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for the military leadership and Nation Media Group executives to address concerns that prompted the shutdown and agree on a framework for future engagement.
The exact date for the meeting has not yet been announced, and officials have not indicated when security personnel deployed at the media premises will withdraw. The reopening therefore remains conditional upon the successful conclusion of the planned discussions.
Escalating tensions
The shutdown followed weeks of escalating tensions between Gen. Muhoozi and Nation Media Group publications and broadcasts. The military chief accused the media house of persistently portraying him and Uganda’s First Family unfairly while giving prominence to criticism of the country’s leadership.
Gen. Muhoozi defended the closure, arguing that the affected media outlets had repeatedly crossed what he considered acceptable professional boundaries.
“I do not believe in a free press that abuses our country, our leadership and our people,” Gen. Muhoozi stated, maintaining that media freedom should be exercised responsibly and within the law.
He further alleged that the Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda had consistently mocked the First Family’s four decades in power while subjecting his own political ambitions to relentless scrutiny.
“Museveni in the know”
According to the CDF, the action taken against the media house was not unilateral. He asserted that the operation had the approval of President Yoweri Museveni.
“My father gave me permission,” Gen. Muhoozi said in response to critics questioning the legality of the shutdown, insisting that the move was intended to protect national interests rather than suppress legitimate journalism.
The closure immediately attracted widespread attention from media stakeholders, civil society organisations and industry regulators.
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) said it had initiated engagements with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), and the Chief of Defence Forces in an effort to establish the facts surrounding the shutdown and find an amicable resolution.
UCC speaks out
UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo also confirmed that the communications regulator had begun consultations with relevant government agencies to determine the circumstances that led to NMG’s television and radio stations going off air.
The decision by PLU to pursue dialogue before reopening the outlets is being viewed as an attempt to de-escalate tensions while creating space for direct engagement between government representatives and the management of one of Uganda’s largest independent media organisations.
Although the military deployment remains in place and the affected stations are yet to resume broadcasting, the commitment by Gen. Muhoozi and the PLU leadership to resolve the dispute through discussions has raised expectations that the impasse may soon be resolved.
For now, the future of NTV Uganda, the Daily Monitor and other affected NMG outlets rests on the outcome of the anticipated meeting between PLU leaders and the company’s management, which both sides are expected to use to chart a path toward restoring normal operations.
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