Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has ordered the shutdown of NTV Uganda, Spark TV, and Daily Monitor, escalating concerns over press freedom in the country.
NTV Uganda and Spark TV reportedly went off air in the early hours of Sunday morning following an overnight security operation at Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda offices in Namuwongo, Kampala.
The move came after Gen. Muhoozi, son of President Yoweri Museveni, shared a series of posts on X announcing the crackdown on the media houses.
“Mzee has approved my plan to close both NTV and Monitor. We are moving immediately!” he wrote.
The shutdown is believed to be linked to what Muhoozi described as “bad stories” targeting Uganda’s top leadership, following a series of reports and televised features focusing on the country’s political and security establishment.
“From now on, ALL bad stories about Uganda have to be cleared by my office! In Uganda, I do not believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution,” he added.
The CDF, known for his controversial online statements, further declared that the stations would not resume operations without his approval.
Nation Media Group Uganda owns NTV Uganda, Spark TV, Daily Monitor, The EastAfrican, and Dembe FM among other media platforms.
The development has revived memories of a similar raid in May 2013, when armed police officers stormed Daily Monitor’s offices following the publication of a letter allegedly authored by Gen. David Sejusa. The letter claimed there was a plan to prepare Muhoozi as President Museveni’s successor, a saga that later became widely known as the “Muhoozi Project.”
At the time, the government strongly denied the allegations, while police defended the raid as part of criminal investigations into leaked intelligence documents. Media rights organisations widely condemned the action as an attack on press freedom.