By Feni Hiveluah
The Eastern Africa Editors Society (EAES) has strongly condemned the military-led closure of Uganda’s leading independent media outlets, including the Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, and associated Nation Media Group broadcasting platforms.
According to a press statement this week, reports indicate that armed military personnel were deployed to the company’s headquarters in Kampala, preventing journalists and other staff from entering or leaving the premises while television and radio transmissions were taken off air following directives issued by Uganda’s chief of defence forces general Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
“This unprecedented use of military force against independent media is a grave assault on press freedom, editorial independence, and the public’s fundamental right to receive information,” the statement read.
The statement read that it is particularly alarming that the shutdown was accompanied by public statements rejecting the principle of a free press and asserting that media should operate only with military approval.
The EAES emphasised that the closure of media houses through military action has no place in a democratic society and added that such actions undermine constitutional governance, erode public confidence in state institutions, and threaten the free flow of information at a time when Uganda requires an open civic space and robust public discourse.
The EAES calls for the immediate reopening of all affected media outlets, the unconditional withdrawal of military personnel from media premises, full guarantees for the safety and freedom of journalists and media workers and respect for Uganda’s Constitution and its obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
“EAES stands in unwavering solidarity with the journalists, editors, and staff of the affected media houses, as well as the broader Ugandan media fraternity. We urge the African Union, the East African Community, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and all partners committed to democratic governance to speak out against this dangerous escalation and to press for the immediate restoration of media freedom in Uganda.”
