The army in Uganda surrounded the newsrooms of the largest media house. The commander and president’s son openly rejects freedom of the press.
Uganda’s largest independent media group announced on Sunday that its newsrooms are under “military siege” following a decision by the army chief. TASR writes about it according to the AFP agency.
- The Ugandan army shut down independent media in the capital.
- The orders were issued by the army commander and the son of President Kainerugab.
- President Museveni has ruled Uganda for forty years.
- Armed soldiers guard the entrances to media buildings in Kampala.
- Uganda has strict laws against foreign agents and the media.
Army Chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba is the son of President Yoweri Museveni. In recent months, he has already ordered the arrest of politicians and civil activists. “NTV and Moniter (sic) are closed from today!” said Kainerugaba on Platform X, referring to Nation Media Group. “I DO NOT believe in a free press in Uganda! The press should be governed by the cadres of the revolution,” he added, and the media “will not reopen without my consent.”
“From now on ALL media in Uganda will follow the rules!” He confirmed that the orders were approved by his father, Yoweri Museveni, 81, who has ruled Uganda for 40 years. His seventh term began in January, but many observers say his son is in a position to take over.
Soldiers guard the entrances
Platform X’s Daily Monitor reported that armed soldiers were guarding its premises in the capital, Kampala. Other media outlets – Dembe FM, Spark TV, KFM and The East African – are doing the same.
“The army has closed us in both the NTV studios and offices… No one is allowed in or out. Those who worked last night have been ordered to leave by the army,” an NTV reporter told AFP on condition of anonymity. TV stations went off air early Sunday morning, with monitors displaying the message: “Video unavailable.”
As of 2025, Museveni is the third-longest continuously ruling leader outside of monarchies – after Teodoro Obiang Nguem Mbasoga of Equatorial Guinea and Paul Biya of Cameroon. Legislation on “foreign agents” known from Russia also applies in the country. Under the guise of the Law on the Protection of Sovereignty, it criminalizes ordinary activities of civil life in other countries and carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Uganda was ranked 143 out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ press freedom index.
