Soldiers Besiege Daily Monitor, NTV as Major Ugandan Media Houses Go Off Air

Asante Times Admin 

KAMPALA, Uganda — June 28, 2026

Uganda’s media industry was thrown into turmoil on Sunday after heavily armed soldiers reportedly surrounded multiple media installations linked to Nation Media Group, forcing several television and radio stations off air in an operation that has triggered widespread concern over press freedom.

Among the most affected outlets was Daily Monitor, whose Namuwongo-based headquarters remained under tight military guard hours after security deployments began overnight.

Witnesses said armed personnel were stationed at the entrances to the newspaper premises while access to some sections of the building was heavily restricted.

At the Serena Hotel broadcast centre in Kampala, soldiers reportedly entered facilities hosting NTV Uganda and Spark TV shortly after midnight, before transmission to viewers was interrupted. Staff members at the scene reportedly watched as broadcasts went dark amid heightened security activity.

The operation is said to have followed public remarks attributed to Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, who allegedly ordered the closure of Nation Media Group Uganda outlets.

Several radio stations affiliated with the media group, including Dembe FM and KFM, were also reported affected, alongside regional publication The EastAfrican.

By Sunday afternoon, there had been no formal court order or publicly available legal directive explaining the military deployment or suspension of operations at the affected outlets.

The developments mark one of the most significant confrontations between the Ugandan state and mainstream media organisations in recent years, raising fresh questions about constitutional protections for freedom of expression and the independence of the press.

Media rights advocates and opposition figures have already begun condemning the operation, warning that shutting down independent broadcasters and newspapers through military action risks deepening fears over shrinking civic space ahead of Uganda’s next political cycle.