'Under siege': Uganda's army chief clamps down on the press

Rights group Amnesty International has called on the Ugandan government to immediately end the harrasment of activists and to allow the media to operate freely. Their demand comes after Uganda's, military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba ordered theclosure of the independent media company Nation Media Group (NMG). Kainerugaba, the son of President Yoweri Museveni, is known for threatening critics of the government, particularly opposition leaders. His attack on the press is the latest escalation. Several opposition figures, including Kizza Besigye, are in detention in what rights groups and activists say are politically motivated charges.

On June 28, soldiers surrounded the company's editorial and broadcasting facilities, NTV, a channel owned by NMG. The military halted broadcasting operations at NTV and Spark TV. The "Daily Monitor" and "The East African," newspapers, as well as radio stations, are also affected.

"Negotiations are ongoing at different levels for reopening," said Susan Nsibirwa, managing director for NMG in Uganda, according to news agency Reuters on Monday.

US condemns Uganda's attack on free speech

Kainerugaba's action prompted a strong response from Jim Risch, Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee: He urged Washington to review its security relationship with Uganda, adding Kainerugaba's attacks on free speech, including shuttering major media houses, made him and the Ugandan military "unfit partners".

Army Chief Kainerugaba gave no specific reason for the shutdown of the media outlets but wrote on the platform X: "I do not believe in a free press. The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution." He also confirmed that the orders were approved by his 81-year-old father, who has ruled Uganda for 40 years and began his seventh term in January 2026.

Opposition and human rights groups accuse Kainerugaba of being a central figure in a highly repressive regime led by his father, a former rebel leader.

Under Kainerugaba's command, demonstrations are often crushed by brutal force. "The president's son continues his ​unchecked and unjust campaign of ⁠harassment and intimidation of independent media and civil society," Amnesty's East and Southern Africa director, Tigere Chagutah, ⁠said in a statement ​on Monday.

Is Museveni 'handing power' to his son?

"We are seeing a transfer of power to the president's son," a source at an international foundation in Uganda who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, told DW. "General Kainerugaba has been expanding his influence within the government since taking over leadership of the military in 2024", he said, adding that The Daily Monitor  is Uganda's most influential independent newspaper and is known for its investigative journalism, editorial independence, and critical reporting on the government.

Kainerugaba had already threatened to shut down the news outlet weeks ago. The reason for this, according to the source, was critical headlines and critical analysis by the NTV regarding the army general's influence on national institutions, particularly Uganda's parliament.

Uganda: Is President Museveni's son 'above the law'?

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However, even those institutions responsible for regulating the media—such as the Uganda Communications Commission—have "reacted only very cautiously to the army chief's action," he added.

Commission Director George William Nyombi Thembo remained reserved in his statement: "We are in contact with the relevant authorities within government institutions to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current situation. As soon as we have all the facts, we will issue a comprehensive statement as the regulatory authority," he told DW.

Opposition 'under siege' too

Opposition parties repeatedly criticize the government's repressive policies. They face pressure and are subjected to arbitrary arrests, abductions, and politically motivated charges, according to political observers.

"We are convinced that Uganda should be governed in accordance with the constitution and the principles of the rule of law," Lulume Baiga, deputy leader of the People's Front for Freedom (PPF), told DW, as he commented on the commission's statement. "This is the body that must take responsibility for the closure of the media outlet."

However, according to human rights lawyer Cathy Anite, the institutions responsible for media governance in Uganda have stepped back. "It is quite obvious that the state is disregarding rights and laws regarding media freedom," she told DW.

Anite is a member of the Independent High-Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom and the founder of the Freedom of Expression Hub in Uganda. "In my view, all media restrictions, including the closure of media outlets, must be enshrined in law and serve a legitimate purpose."

"We are currently witnessing an erosion of media freedom and a blatant disregard of the policy standards that govern a free press," Anite said, adding that Uganda's political leadership has created a rather complex and contradictory environment that has blurred the line between constitutional guarantees, legal restrictions, and media freedom.

"This arbitrary closure will have a chilling effect on media freedom and citizens' freedom of expression in the country and will stifle accountability and the rule of law," she warned, adding: "The media has that mandate to criticize the state."

Journalists are frustrated by the restrictions on press freedom in the country. "We are afraid to express our opinions and to do our jobs freely," Cathy Luzige, a journalist with the television station NBS TV, told DW.

"In this media profession, it is a severe blow and a great shock when you cannot speak freely or think without fear," she said.

Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu