Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, ordered the immediate closure of Nation Media Group’s television, radio and newspaper outlets in Kampala early on Sunday, deploying soldiers to the company’s premises and instructing that all ‘bad stories about Uganda’ must henceforth be cleared by his office. NTV Uganda and Spark TV went off air, and the Daily Monitor newspaper reported a ‘military siege’ with staff barred from leaving the compound. In a series of posts on X, Kainerugaba asserted that he does ‘not believe in a free press’ and that media should be ‘guided by cadres of the revolution’, claiming his authority to shut down any outlet had been ‘given to me by my great father President Kaguta Museveni’ as far back as 2017.

The Ugandan government offered no immediate official justification for the crackdown. The National Association of Broadcasters confirmed that at least six outlets under the Nation Media Group umbrella had been affected and expressed ‘deep concern’ over the impact on the media ecosystem. NMG Uganda’s managing director declined to comment. Opposition and human rights groups described the closures as a direct attack on press freedom and an escalation in political repression as President Museveni, 81, relies increasingly on his son’s military authority after a disputed seventh-term election. Kainerugaba’s spokesman did not elaborate on specific grievances, but the general’s posts referred to ‘hard-hitting news reports’ on the nation’s political and security establishment.

The operation draws a direct parallel to a 2013 police raid on the Daily Monitor’s offices over the publication of a leaked intelligence letter detailing a succession plan for Kainerugaba, while NTV was forced off air in 2007 over alleged negative coverage. Analysts in East Africa note that the general’s assertion of personal licensing power over media, articulated outside any constitutional or statutory framework, marks a deepening of executive control via the security apparatus. In Ghana, press freedom faces a different type of pressure. The Ghana Journalists Association has separately condemned the alleged physical assault of a radio producer and the temporary closure of his station in Kasoa, reportedly involving regional political leaders, and is calling for an impartial police investigation. The GJA also warned that a rising number of defamation suits—over 15 cases are pending—is forcing journalists into courtrooms and causing a decline in investigative journalism, which it termed ‘the lifeblood of journalism’.

The closures in Uganda remain in effect, with Kainerugaba stating that the outlets will not reopen without his personal permission. Legal experts in Kampala say Nation Media Group may seek an emergency court order, though the judiciary’s independence in politically sensitive cases is uncertain. International press freedom organisations are expected to issue condemnations. In Ghana, the GJA demanded that the political party concerned publicly apologise and discipline members found responsible, while reminding aggrieved parties to use lawful channels such as the National Media Commission or the courts. The twin developments underscore a tightening environment for independent media on the continent, with both security force directives and judicial processes used to constrain critical reporting.