Kampala, Uganda | URN | Military personnel have finally withdrawn from the premises of Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda, ending a physical occupation of the media house’s offices.
When soldiers first sealed off the company on June 28, they were deployed in large numbers at NMG’s headquarters in Namuwongo and its broadcast studios at the Kampala Serena International Conference Centre. Even after the media house was cleared to resume operations last week, the soldiers remained stationed at both premises.
Following reports that the deployment had ended, our reporter visited the two locations and found no visible military presence, a marked contrast to the heavy deployment seen in recent weeks. At the Serena premises, some members of staff confirmed that the soldiers had left..
“They left in the morning, ” The staff told our reporter.
The withdrawal was also confirmed in an internal communication from NMG Uganda’s top management to employees.
“Please note that… the military has vacated our premises,” the communication reads in part.
Management, however, cautioned staff against returning to the offices immediately, saying the company’s internal security team was still carrying out safety and security assessments before the premises could be reopened.
“A lot of checks are ongoing and we shouldn’t compromise that exercise,” the communication stated.
The withdrawal comes days after NMG announced that it had received clearance to resume operations following high-level negotiations with government officials.
In the early hours of June 28, armed personnel from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) sealed off NMG’s headquarters in Namuwongo and its broadcast studios at the Kampala Serena International Conference Centre. Electricity was disconnected, television and radio transmissions were taken off air, and staff were locked out of the premises.
The operation followed public directives issued by Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Through posts on the social media platform X, Muhoozi declared that the Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda had been shut down and would not reopen without his permission. While no formal explanation was initially given, he later accused the media house of “activism” and promoting opposition and foreign interests.
The shutdown affected the Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, Spark TV, KFM and Dembe FM, leaving hundreds of journalists and support staff unable to work for a month.
It was the another major siege on the Daily Monitor in just over a decade. In May 2013, security forces occupied the newspaper’s offices for 11 days following publication of a story on the so-called “Muhoozi Project,” a report linked to presidential succession.
The latest standoff ended through behind-the-scenes negotiations rather than court action. NMG’s majority shareholder, Tanzanian businessman Rostam Azizi, through Taifa Group, which acquired a controlling stake in the company earlier this year, held discussions with both Gen. Muhoozi and President Museveni. Meetings were held at the Special Forces Command headquarters in Entebbe and later at State House.
On July 28, NMG announced that it had been authorised to resume operations. Board Chairman Joe Muganda said the company’s television, print, radio and digital services would return in phases. Azizi later publicly thanked President Museveni and Gen. Muhoozi for facilitating the reopening.
NMG has since resumed operations with a limited number of staff working from its unaffected offices at Commercial Plaza. For now, the newsroom is operating digitally, publishing content through its website, YouTube channel and other online platforms. Television broadcasting and publication of the printed newspaper are yet to resume.
