Uganda's military takes Nation Media Group outlets off the air

Overview

Updated Jun 28

Just after midnight on June 28, 2026, soldiers sealed off Nation Media Group's offices in Kampala. By 5 a.m., NTV Uganda, Spark TV, the Daily Monitor, KFM and Dembe FM were dark. Staff could not get in or out.

The order came from Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, head of Uganda's armed forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni. He said the outlets would not reopen without his permission, and ordered the arrest of the company's Ugandan managing director. This is a direct military takedown of a newsroom, not a court case or a license dispute.

Why it matters

A serving army chief just switched off a country's biggest independent newsroom by force and jailed its boss, with no warrant and no court.

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Key Indicators

Outlets taken offline

NTV Uganda, Spark TV, Daily Monitor, The EastAfrican, KFM and Dembe FM all went dark.

20 years

Age of NTV Uganda

The television station had broadcast for two decades before the June 2026 shutdown.

40 years

Museveni's time in power

The president approved the order; his son commands the army that carried it out.

71.65%

Museveni's January 2026 vote share

He won a seventh term in a disputed election five months before the shutdown.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

People Involved

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba

Chief of Defence Forces, Uganda People's Defence Force

Ordered the shutdown and the arrest of the company's managing director

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni

President of Uganda

Approved the shutdown order, according to his son

Susan Nsibirwa

Managing Director, Nation Media Group Uganda

Subject of an arrest order issued by the army chief

Organizations Involved

Nation Media Group

Media company

Ugandan outlets shut down by the military

East Africa's largest independent media company, headquartered in Nairobi, with a major Ugandan arm.

Committee to Protect Journalists

Press freedom group

Condemned the shutdown

A New York-based group that tracks attacks on journalists worldwide.

Timeline

May 2013 June 2026

6 events Latest: June 28th, 2026 · 2 months ago

Tap a bar to jump to that date

June 2026
Soldiers seal off Nation Media Group offices
Latest Force

Heavily armed personnel surrounded the company's premises in Namuwongo and at the Kampala Serena Hotel, blocking staff from entering or leaving.
June 28th, 2026 • Around midnight
NTV, Spark TV, KFM and Dembe FM go dark
Force

The broadcasts stopped and the Daily Monitor's operations halted after Muhoozi ordered the shutdown on his social media account.
June 28th, 2026 • By 5:00 a.m.
Muhoozi orders arrest of NMG Uganda managing director
Legal

Hours after the takedown, the army chief ordered the arrest of managing director Susan Nsibirwa.
June 28th, 2026
Press groups condemn the siege
Statement

The Committee to Protect Journalists and Uganda's broadcasters association called the action a military siege of the press.
June 28th, 2026
January 2026
Museveni declared winner of a seventh term
Political

The electoral commission announced Museveni won 71.65% in a disputed January 15 vote. Bobi Wine took 24.72%.
January 17th, 2026
May 2013
Police raid the Daily Monitor over the 'Muhoozi Project' letter
Legal

Armed police occupied the Monitor and two radio stations for ten days after the paper published a leaked letter about succession plans.
May 20th, 2013

Scenarios

Outlets reopen within weeks under government conditions

Possible Resolves by Q3 2026

Discussed by: Uganda's National Association of Broadcasters; precedent from the 2013 Monitor raid

The 2013 closure ended after ten days once the company signed police paperwork. A similar deal could bring NTV and the Monitor back on the air within weeks, with quiet commitments on coverage. The outlets resume broadcasting, but the threat of another shutdown hangs over the newsroom.

Court orders the outlets reopened

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Institute for Justice and Accountability in Uganda; Ugandan media lawyers

Nation Media Group or rights groups could seek a court order declaring the shutdown unlawful, since no warrant or legal process was cited. A Ugandan court has previously been ignored during a media siege, so even a favorable ruling may not force compliance. This scenario resolves yes only if a court actually issues a reopening order.

Shutdown holds for months as the outlets stay dark

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Committee to Protect Journalists; Human Rights Watch

Muhoozi said the outlets will not reopen without his permission, and his father approved the move. If the government holds that line, NTV and the Monitor could stay off the air for months, pushing audiences to social media and foreign outlets. This is the scenario press groups fear most.

Managing director Susan Nsibirwa is formally charged

Uncertain Resolves by Q3 2026

Discussed by: Pulse Uganda; Ugandan broadcasters association

Muhoozi ordered Nsibirwa's arrest the same day. Whether that turns into formal charges, and on what basis, will show how far the state intends to take the case against the company's leadership. This scenario resolves yes only if prosecutors bring formal charges against her.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

May 2013

Daily Monitor police siege (2013)

Police raided the Daily Monitor and Dembe FM after the paper published a leaked letter from Gen. David Sejusa about a plan to position Muhoozi for succession. Officers occupied the building and shut the radio stations. Journalists were beaten and tear-gassed.

Then

The outlets stayed closed for about ten days before reopening after signing police documents.

Now

It set a template: the state could take a major newsroom offline over succession coverage and pay little cost.

Why this matters now

The same family succession question sits at the center of both events, thirteen years apart. The 2013 closure shows how these sieges tend to end, and how quickly the threat returns.

December 2013

Egypt's Al Jazeera crackdown (2013-2014)

After Egypt's military takeover, security forces raided Al Jazeera's operations and arrested its journalists, including three later jailed on charges widely seen as political. The network's local broadcasts were forced off air.

Then

Journalists spent more than a year in prison; international pressure built slowly.

Now

Some were eventually released or pardoned, but the message to local media was clear and lasting.

Why this matters now

It is a close parallel for using the military, not the courts, to silence a major broadcaster and jail its staff. It also shows how long detained journalists can wait for release.

January 2021

Uganda's 2021 election internet and media blackout

Around the 2021 vote, Uganda cut internet access nationwide and restricted independent media as Museveni faced a strong challenge from Bobi Wine. The opposition reported mass arrests and violence.

Then

Museveni won; the blackout limited real-time reporting and opposition organizing.

Now

It normalized shutting down communications as an election tool, separating Ugandans from independent news during key moments.

Why this matters now

It shows the government's habit of pulling information channels offline around political stress points. The June 2026 newsroom shutdown extends that habit to direct military force on a single company.