NTV Uganda and Spark TV were forced off air by 5:00 am local time on Sunday after an overnight security crackdown at Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda premises in Namuwongo and Kampala Serena Hotel, following a shutdown order by the first son and Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba against the media group's outlets.
NTV Uganda and Spark TV viewers were met with blank screens displaying the message “video unavailable”, while uncertainty surrounded the operations of NMG's other platforms, including the Daily Monitor, which Gen Muhoozi had also targeted in his late-night declarations.
The security operation began shortly after midnight, with personnel deployed at the NMG premises and staff reporting "that no one was being allowed to enter or leave the compound."
Gen Muhoozi, who is well-known to Ugandans for his incendiary social media posts, followed with another post stating: "Both NTV and Monitor will not re-open without my permission."
In another post earlier, he said: "In Uganda, I DO NOT believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution."
The military deployment followed a series of fiery declarations on X by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who openly rejected the concept of a free press and banned the outlets for covering his father, President Museveni.
Photo credit: Pool
The remarks marked an escalation of threats made over the past week, during which Gen Muhoozi repeatedly claimed he was awaiting permission from his father, President Museveni, before moving against the media house that employs hundreds of people.
In Uganda, NMG owns the 20-year-old NTV Uganda, the Daily Monitor, The East African, Spark TV, 93.3 KFM, 90.4 Dembe FM, Ennyanda newspaper and the Nation Courier, among other media platforms and investments.
This picture, taken on June 28, 2026, shows a television screen displaying NTV Uganda's channel after it was taken off air by security operatives in Kampala. Photo/David Vush Ajuna.
Spark TV and NTV Uganda remained on air even as an unprecedented attack on Uganda’s leading independent media house continued through the early hours of Sunday during a prolonged security operation.
At 4:45am local time, nearly four hours after the siege began, the broadcaster was still carrying an Al Jazeera simulcast despite the security presence around the media group's premises.
Shortly afterwards, NTV Uganda and Spark TV went off air.
90.4 Dembe FM and 93.3 KFM also appeared to have gone off air during the operation, with no reason immediately given by Ugandan authorities.
By daybreak, security personnel remained deployed at the NMG premises in Namuwongo and Serena Hotel, with staff inside reporting they were unable to move in or out as the operation continued.
A view of the reception at the Daily Monitor offices in Namuwongo, Kampala.
Photo credit: Daily Monitor
Neither the Uganda People's Defence Forces, the Uganda Police Force nor the Uganda Communications Commission had immediately issued a formal statement explaining the operation or announcing any legal order affecting the broadcaster or newspaper.
It’s not yet clear how long the State-enforced blackout will last and NMG Uganda, which employs more than 500 people in the country alone, had also not issued an official statement by the time of publication.
The latest operation is not the first time NMG Uganda operations have been targeted by State agents. In May 2013, police raided the Daily Monitor and Dembe FM over the publication of a letter allegedly linking senior government officials to a succession plan dubbed the "Muhoozi Project."
The premises remained sealed for more than a week before the outlets were allowed to resume operations after signing police search certificates and other documents.
In February 2007, barely two months after NTV Uganda launched in December 2006, the broadcaster was forced off air by the government following accusations that its news coverage was negative.
Over the years, Museveni has also repeatedly criticised the Daily Monitor, at one point referring to it as an "enemy and evil newspaper" over its critical journalism.
A combination of photos shows the Daily Monitor's cover pages between May 18-May 21, 2025. PHOTO/COMBO
Despite repeated confrontations with the authorities, NMG-Uganda has consistently maintained its commitment to independent, public-interest journalism, describing itself as "Uganda's Bold Voice" ahead of the disputed January 2026 presidential polls.
Past raids drew widespread condemnation from local and international media freedom organisations and rights groups.
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The Nation Media Group (“NMG” or the “Group”) is the largest independent media house in East and Central Africa with operations in print, broadcast and digital media which attract and serve unparalleled audiences across East Africa.
Today, NMG has operations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, and is listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, the Uganda Securities Exchange, and Rwanda Stock Exchange.
