Uganda Defense Forces chief shuts down major media outlets
Ugandan army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also the president’s son, ordered the closure of two prominent media outlets on Sunday, declaring that he “does not believe in a free press” and that journalists should be guided by government loyalists.Daily Monitor, Uganda’s largest independent daily newspaper, and NTV Uganda, one of the country’s largest private broadcasters, “will not reopen without my permission,” Kainerugaba said. The closures also affected KFM Radio and Dembe FM, both owned by Nation Media Group.“In Uganda, I do not believe in a free press! The press must be guided by the cadres of the revolution,” Kainrugaba wrote in a series of posts on the X website.
He did not provide specific reasons for the closures.
The Daily Monitor reported on Sunday that military personnel were deployed at the Nation Media Group headquarters in the capital, Kampala, and employees were prevented from leaving or entering. NTV Uganda and other NMG radio and television broadcasters in the country have gone off the air as of Sunday morning.
Kainerugaba, touted as a potential successor to his elderly father, President Yoweri Museveni, is known for his controversial social media posts, including threats to behead opposition leader Bobi Wine.
In 2013, the government shut down the Daily Monitor newspaper for 10 days over reports related to Museveni’s succession.Government spokesman Alan Kasuga and NMG Uganda managing director Susan Nsibirwa did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, has never commented publicly on who will succeed him, although his son’s influence on security matters has increased significantly.Wine, the opposition leader who remained in hiding after the disputed January elections, had previously accused Kainrugaba of orchestrating a crackdown on his supporters. Kainerugaba has denied such allegations, describing some of his social media posts as ridiculous.