Uganda's Military Chief Orders Shutdown of Two Major Media Outlets

Uganda's military chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, ordered the shutdown of major media outlets including the Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda, declaring he does not believe in a free press. Soldiers surrounded the offices of parent company Nation Media Group in Kampala, taking at least six outlets off air. The move by President Museveni's son, who is seen as his likely successor, is a major escalation in a crackdown on dissent.

Media outlet shutdown

• ▪The Daily Monitor was previously shut down by the government for 10 days in 2013 over reports on presidential succession
• ▪The targeted outlets are part of the Nation Media Group (NMG), a major East African media company headquartered in Kenya
• ▪On June 28, 2026, Uganda's military chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba ordered the closure of the Daily Monitor newspaper and NTV Uganda
• ▪The National Association of Broadcasters reported that at least six NMG-owned publishing and broadcasting outlets were closed
• ▪NTV Uganda was previously forced off the air in 2007 after the government criticized its news coverage as negative
• ▪Armed soldiers were deployed at NMG's premises in the capital, Kampala, preventing staff from entering or leaving

Kainerugaba's expanding authority

• ▪Gen. Kainerugaba stated on the social media platform X, "I DO NOT believe in a free press!"
• ▪Gen. Kainerugaba asserted that the closed media outlets would "not re-open without my permission."
• ▪Gen. Kainerugaba claimed his father, President Museveni, granted him the power to shut down any media house in 2017
• ▪Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has served as Uganda's top military commander since 2024
• ▪Gen. Kainerugaba declared that the press "should be guided by cadres of the revolution."

Presidential succession dynamics

• ▪The United Nations described the January 2026 election as occurring in an "environment marked by widespread repression and intimidation."
• ▪Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba is widely seen as a potential successor to his father, President Yoweri Museveni
• ▪Gen. Kainerugaba is known for controversial social media posts, including threats against opposition leader Bobi Wine
• ▪President Yoweri Museveni, 81, has ruled Uganda since 1986 and began a seventh term following a disputed January 2026 election

Besigye detention case

• ▪Opposition leader Kizza Besigye was seized in Nairobi in 2024 and is imprisoned on treason charges he calls politically motivated
• ▪Kizza Besigye's attorney, Erias Lukwago, was taken from his home and charged with an offense related to concealing treason
• ▪Gen. Kainerugaba recently retaliated against attorney Erias Lukwago for trying to hold him accountable for rights violations against opposition leader Kizza Besigye

Kainerugaba's military career

• ▪Gen. Kainerugaba attended military schools in the U.S. and Britain before commanding an elite special forces group in Uganda
• ▪Gen. Kainerugaba is the founder of a political activist group known as the Patriotic League of Uganda