On October 28 2025, the Parliament of Uganda barred journalists from the Nation Media Group Uganda (NMG-U), including NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor, from covering proceedings.
No official explanation was offered. Security personnel reportedly cited ‘instructions’, but the silence from the House leadership speaks volumes.
When Parliament, the very institution tasked with upholding constitutionalism, does this to prominent independent media houses, it does more than deny access. It betrays the public trust and democratic accountability.
NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor have long served as watchdogs of our democracy.
Their coverage has exposed corruption, amplified citizen voices and also held power to account. Everyone, including the NRM party and government, should be happy about this.
To, therefore, exclude them from covering parliamentary proceedings is not a procedural hiccup; it is a calculated affront to press freedom and public oversight. Article 29(1)(a) of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda guarantees freedom of expression, while Article 41 affirms the right of every citizen to access information held by the State. Parliament’s decision to bar NMG-U journalists violates both.
It is a breach not just of law, but of democratic ethos. At a time when Parliament had become increasingly notorious in the public eye-amid a series of troubling developments-blocking the media was not only unreasonable; it was a squandered opportunity to invite scrutiny and restore public trust in the institution.
No official justification has been offered, although the Deputy Speaker promised to look into the matter. No transparent process invoked. Instead, we are left with whispers of retaliation; punishment for critical reporting, for asking uncomfortable questions, for refusing to be co-opted.
This is not merely a media issue. It is a public issue, and when journalists are silenced, citizens are blinded. When scrutiny is suppressed, impunity thrives. Not in this era and age. The exclusion of NMG-U journalists from Parliament must be understood as a threat to democratic oversight. It undermines the public’s right to know and weakens the institutions meant to serve them.
We must not normalise this exclusion. Civil society, legal scholars, and fellow journalists must speak out. Parliament must be reminded: it is not above scrutiny. It is accountable to the people. Let us condemn this ban with clarity and conviction. Let us defend the watchdogs who defend us, and demand that Parliament uphold the Constitution and lift this unlawful restriction.