KAMPALA, Uganda — NTV Uganda and Spark TV were taken off air in the early hours of Sunday following an overnight security operation at Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda premises in Namuwongo and Kampala Serena Hotel, raising fresh concerns about media freedom and state interference in the press.
By 6:00 a.m. local time, viewers attempting to access the two television stations were met with blank screens displaying the message: “Video unavailable.”
The disruption followed the deployment of security personnel at Nation Media Group’s facilities shortly after midnight.
According to reports from staff at the scene, security officers restricted movement in and out of the premises, while roads leading to the media house were blocked.
Employees also reported power disruptions affecting parts of the facility.
The operation appeared to extend beyond television broadcasting. Listeners reported that NMG-owned radio stations 93.3 KFM and 90.4 Dembe FM were also inaccessible on their frequencies during the morning hours.
The developments came just hours after Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, announced on social media that NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor would be shut down.
Posting on X shortly after 1:00 a.m., Gen Kainerugaba wrote:
“NTV and Monitor are being shut down from today!”
In a subsequent post, he added:
“Both NTV and Monitor will not re-open without my permission.”
The army chief later claimed that President Yoweri Museveni had approved the move.
“Mzee has approved my plan to close both NTV and Monitor. We are moving immediately!” he posted.
As of Sunday morning, neither the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), the Uganda Police Force, nor the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) had issued an official statement explaining the operation or announcing any regulatory action against the broadcaster.
Nation Media Group Uganda, a subsidiary of East Africa’s largest independent media company, operates several major media outlets in Uganda, including NTV Uganda, Spark TV, Daily Monitor, KFM, and Dembe FM.
The shutdown sparked swift condemnation from opposition leader Bobi Wine, who accused Muhoozi of acting with the full backing of his father to silence critical voices.
“Muhoozi, acting with his father’s full approval, has moved to silence Uganda’s remaining independent voices by shutting down NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor, Dembe FM and Spark TV,” Bobi Wine said.
He described the military action as evidence of growing authoritarianism in Uganda.
“This is the harsh reality we now face, a country under open military rule, where fear replaces law and force replaces accountability,” he said.
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The incident has drawn comparisons to the May 2013 closure of the Daily Monitor and Dembe FM by Ugandan security agencies. In that case, security personnel sealed off media premises for more than a week before the outlets were allowed to resume operations.
The latest developments are likely to intensify debate over press freedom and the relationship between state institutions and independent media in Uganda, particularly as the country moves closer to the 2026 general election cycle.
Media rights advocates have repeatedly warned that restrictions on independent news organisations risk undermining access to information and democratic accountability.
At the time of publication, Nation Media Group Uganda had not issued a formal statement detailing the extent of the disruption or when normal broadcasting operations would resume.
