Nation Media Group Leadership Meets Gen. Muhoozi as Pressure Mounts Over Media Shutdown

ENTEBBE, Uganda — July 1, 2026 — Senior executives from Nation Media Group on Wednesday afternoon met Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, in Entebbe amid growing public concern over the closure of several major media outlets in Uganda.

The meeting, held at the Special Forces Command headquarters, came days after operations of NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor, Spark TV and KFM were suspended following tensions between military authorities and the media house.
Nation Media Group owner Rostam Aziz attended the talks alongside his son Saam Aziz and Georgia Mutagaywa.
Veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda and Acting UPDF/Defence Public Information Director Chris Magezi were also present during the discussions, which insiders described as crucial in determining the next course of action regarding the affected outlets.

The shutdown has sparked widespread reactions across Uganda, with media practitioners, opposition figures and civil society organizations expressing concern over press freedom and the shrinking space for independent journalism. Others, however, defended the military’s actions, arguing that media houses have a responsibility to report on security matters carefully and responsibly.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Wednesday’s meeting focused on restoring dialogue between the military leadership and Nation Media Group management, amid hopes that the suspended outlets could soon resume operations.

The closure has affected thousands of viewers, listeners and readers across the country, disrupting television broadcasts, radio programming and newspaper circulation at a time when the public continues to closely follow political and security developments.
By Wednesday evening, no official communication had been issued on whether an agreement had been reached, but the rare high-level engagement between Gen. Muhoozi and the Nation Media Group leadership signaled a possible breakthrough in one of Uganda’s most closely watched media standoffs in recent years.