NAIROBI, Kenya — The Nation Media Group-Uganda (NMG-U) has announced the phased resumption of its television, print, radio and digital operations, bringing to an end a month-long shutdown that followed a government-directed security operation against one of East Africa’s largest independent media organisations.
In a statement issued on Monday 27, July 2026, Nation Media Group Chairman Joe Muganda said the company’s services would return gradually as final operational arrangements are completed.
“Nation Media Group Uganda is pleased to announce the resumption of its operations. Our services across television, print, radio and digital will be restored progressively as we complete the necessary operational arrangements,” Muganda said.
He thanked audiences, advertisers and business partners for their patience during the closure and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to independent journalism.
“We remain committed to delivering trusted and balanced journalism across all our platforms,” he added.
The announcement ends weeks of uncertainty after security agencies suspended the company’s operations in late June, forcing the Daily Monitor newspaper off the streets and taking NTV Uganda, Spark TV, KFM and Dembe FM off air.
The shutdown, which disrupted one of Uganda’s most influential media houses, affected hundreds of journalists, broadcasters and support staff while temporarily silencing several of the country’s leading news platforms.
A shutdown that drew regional attention
The closure followed a government-ordered security investigation initiated by President Yoweri Museveni involving the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and other security agencies.
Authorities maintained that the action formed part of an ongoing security inquiry.
The operation came shortly after a series of social media posts by Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who accused Nation Media Group of biased reporting and publicly announced that the company’s Ugandan operations had been shut down.
The suspension quickly became one of the most significant press freedom developments in Uganda in recent years, attracting regional and international attention because of Nation Media Group’s prominence across East Africa.
Negotiations behind the scenes
The reopening follows weeks of high-level discussions between representatives of Nation Media Group and senior Ugandan government officials.
Among the key meetings were talks between Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and incoming majority shareholder Rostam Aziz at the Special Forces Command (SFC) headquarters in Entebbe.
Aziz later held discussions with President Museveni at State House.
People familiar with the negotiations said the discussions focused on the company’s future editorial direction, management structure and commitments to strengthen professional journalism.
Neither the government nor Nation Media Group publicly disclosed the details of those engagements.
In another indication that relations were improving, Nation Media Group Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Odundo recently led a delegation that paid a courtesy visit to Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Executive Director Nyombi Thembo.
Photographs released by the regulator showed Odundo accompanied by senior executives from the regional media company during the meeting.
Although neither side publicly outlined the agenda, the visit was widely viewed as signalling progress toward restoring normal operations.
Ownership transition continues
The reopening also comes as Nation Media Group undergoes a major ownership transition.
The regional media company recently announced that Tanzanian businessman Rostam Aziz, through Taarifa Limited, had agreed to acquire the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development’s 54.08 per cent controlling stake in the company, subject to regulatory approvals.
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Nation Media Group has said the transaction will not affect its public listing on the Nairobi, Uganda, Dar es Salaam and Rwanda stock exchanges.
The company remains one of East Africa’s largest multimedia organisations, with operations spanning Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.
A significant moment for Uganda’s media
The restoration of Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, Spark TV, KFM and Dembe FM marks the end of one of the most consequential interruptions to Uganda’s media industry in recent years.
Beyond the commercial impact, the month-long shutdown reignited debate over media freedom, editorial independence and the relationship between the state and independent news organisations.
For audiences, the return restores access to some of Uganda’s most influential news platforms.
For the media industry, however, the events surrounding the closure and reopening are likely to remain a defining reference point in future discussions about press freedom, regulation and the operating environment for independent journalism in Uganda.
