Uganda's army chief declares 'I do not believe in a free press,' orders media shutdown

Uganda's army chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has declared his disbelief in a free press and ordered the immediate shutdown of Nation Media Group's newspaper, TV, and radio stations. Kainerugaba, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni, asserted his growing influence by ordering the closure of NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor, misspelling the latter in his announcement on X.

"In Uganda, I DO NOT believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution," Kainerugaba wrote. The Daily Monitor reported being under "military siege" with armed soldiers outside its offices in Kampala. Other affected outlets include Dembe FM, Spark TV, KFM, and The East African.

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NTV and Moniter are being shut down from today! In Uganda, I DO NOT believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution.

A senior NTV reporter, speaking anonymously to AFP, described the military raid occurring at 1:00 am local time, causing electricity disconnection and operational disruptions. The reporter stated that soldiers ordered staff to leave the premises.

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We’ve been shut down by the military at both NTV studios and offices…No one is allowed in or out. Those who worked last night were ordered to leave by the military.

Kainerugaba accused the Nation group of a "lifetime of insults" and claimed his father, who has ruled Uganda for 40 years, approved the shutdown. The 52-year-old general's actions come amid speculation that he is being positioned to succeed his father, who won another term in January.

The Committee to Protect Journalists' Africa programme condemned the shutdown, calling the use of state security forces against independent media a "deeply troubling escalation."

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The use of state security forces to carry out publicly announced threats against independent media… a deeply troubling escalation.