Soldiers surrounded the offices of Uganda's Daily Monitor newspaper in Kampala on Sunday as Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the country's military chief and son of President Yoweri Museveni, ordered the closure of multiple media outlets and declared he has unchecked power to silence any press organization in the East African nation.
Kainerugaba, who has served as the top military commander since 2024, deployed troops to enforce his directive against the Daily Monitor and broadcaster NTV, both part of the Nation Media Group based in Nairobi. "I have the power in Uganda to shut down ANY media house I want to," he wrote on X, his preferred platform. "I have had this power since 2017. This power was given to me by my great father."
Sweeping Crackdown on Independent Media
The National Association of Broadcasters confirmed that at least six publishing and broadcasting outlets under Nation Media Group were shuttered. "We are deeply concerned about this action and its impact on the media ecosystem," the association said in a statement. The closures represent one of the most aggressive moves against press freedom in recent Ugandan history, targeting a major regional media company with headquarters outside the country's borders.
Kainerugaba's assertion that "ALL media in Uganda will follow the rules" came just days after his father was sworn in for a seventh consecutive term. The general, Museveni's eldest son, has increasingly issued directives and orders typically reserved for heads of state, strengthening his grip on power as the 81-year-old president, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, shows no signs of retirement.
Pattern of Retaliation Against Dissent
The media crackdown follows Kainerugaba's recent retaliation against attorney Erias Lukwago, who sought to hold the general accountable for his alleged role in violating the rights of opposition leader Kizza Besigye. Besigye was seized in Nairobi in 2024 and has since been imprisoned on treason charges he says are politically motivated. Lukwago was taken from his house and later charged with an offense related to the concealment of treason.
Museveni has no rivals within the ruling party, leading many to believe the military will determine his successor. Kainerugaba has openly asserted that he will succeed his father in the presidency, a possibility that grows more likely as the elder leader relies heavily on his son's military authority.
The General's Rise to Power
Kainerugaba attended military schools in the U.S. and Britain before taking charge of a presidential guard unit that has since expanded into an elite special forces group. Associates describe him as a dedicated military officer who eschews ostentatious displays of wealth and opposes official corruption, claiming he would punish it heavily as president. He's also the founder of the Patriotic League of Uganda, a political activist group whose members range from the parliamentary speaker to government ministers.
Why This Matters:
The forced closure of multiple news outlets by military decree represents a fundamental threat to press freedom and democratic accountability in Uganda. When a military commander can unilaterally silence major media organizations without judicial process or civilian oversight, the institutional checks that protect citizens' right to information collapse entirely. For Ugandans who depend on independent journalism to understand government actions and hold leaders accountable, these closures eliminate crucial sources of information. The targeting of a regional media company based outside Uganda also signals that even international connections won't protect journalists from military control. As Museveni enters his fortieth year in power and his son consolidates authority through the armed forces rather than democratic institutions, the space for civil society, opposition voices, and independent reporting continues to shrink, leaving citizens with fewer avenues to challenge abuses of power or advocate for their rights.