KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has triggered fresh controversy after calling for Turkish nationals, including embassy staff, to leave Uganda, even as criticism mounts over the shutdown of leading independent media outlets.
In a series of posts published on social media platform X on Sunday, June 28, Gen Muhoozi declared that Turkish citizens should leave Uganda within 30 days, claiming there were no agreements binding the two countries’ peoples.
“There are no pacts between lions and men! All Turks must be outside of our country in 30 days,” he wrote.
The remarks immediately drew attention because they appeared to target foreign nationals residing and working in Uganda, including diplomatic personnel.
By Sunday evening, neither the Turkish Embassy in Kampala nor Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had publicly responded to the comments.
Remarks come amid media shutdown
The comments came as Uganda grappled with a separate controversy involving the shutdown of media outlets owned by Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda.
Earlier on Sunday, soldiers and other security personnel were deployed at Nation Media Group (NMG) premises in Namuwongo and Kampala Serena Hotel, disrupting operations at NTV Uganda, Spark TV, the Daily Monitor newspaper, KFM and Dembe FM.
The operation followed a series of social media posts in which Gen Muhoozi announced that the broadcaster and newspaper had been shut down.
“NTV and Monitor are being shut down from today,” he wrote.
He later added:
“Both NTV and Monitor will not reopen without my permission.”
Gen Muhoozi further 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 evening, no formal legal order authorising the closure had been made public. Neither the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), Uganda Police Force nor the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) had issued detailed explanations regarding the operation.
Questions over authority and press freedom
The shutdown has raised serious concerns among media freedom advocates, legal experts and civil society organisations.
Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda operates some of the country’s most influential media platforms, including NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor, both of which have a long history of reporting on governance, corruption, elections and public affairs.
The operation also revived memories of the 2013 closure of the Daily Monitor and Dembe FM after security agencies raided the media house over reporting linked to alleged succession plans involving Gen Muhoozi, then a rising military officer.
At the time, the Daily Monitor had published reports based on a controversial letter discussing what became widely known as the “Muhoozi Project” — allegations that President Museveni was preparing his son for eventual succession.
The government denied those claims, but the publication triggered one of the most significant media crackdowns in Uganda’s recent history.
Growing influence of Gen Muhoozi
The latest developments have intensified scrutiny of Gen Muhoozi’s increasingly prominent public role.
Over recent years, the army chief has repeatedly used social media to comment on political, diplomatic and security matters, often making statements that attract regional and international attention.
Also Read: East African Press Councils warn against media crackdown in Kenya and Uganda
His latest remarks targeting Turkish nationals and independent media outlets are likely to deepen concerns among observers about the intersection of military power, politics and civil liberties in Uganda.
Rights groups and media organisations have argued that restrictions on journalists and independent media undermine constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and access to information.
Uncertainty remains
By Sunday night, there was no indication that Turkish nationals had received any formal government directive ordering them to leave Uganda.
Likewise, it remained unclear when Nation Media Group’s affected media outlets would be allowed to resume normal operations.
The developments are expected to draw close attention from diplomatic missions, media freedom organisations and regional bodies as questions continue to mount over press freedom, rule of law and the role of state institutions in Uganda.
