Every evening at 9pm, television sets across Uganda would be switched to NTV Uganda’s prime news bulletin. Every morning, commuters would unfold the Daily Monitor over breakfast or at roadside kiosks, while thousands tuned in to KFM and Dembe FM for the day’s headlines and current affairs. For a month, however, that familiar rhythm disappeared. Following a security operation at Nation Media Group Uganda (NMG-U) premises on June 28 that halted the company’s operations, millions of consumers found themselves without one of the country’s largest and most influential sources of news and information.
The closure affected NMG-U’s extensive media network, including Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, Spark TV, KFM and Dembe FM, leaving audiences, advertisers, opinion writers and employees grappling with uncertainty. For many consumers, it was the sudden loss of a trusted institution that had shaped Uganda’s public discourse for more than three decades. An information gap Mr Denis Yub, a socio-political commentator and regular opinion writer, says he felt the impact from both sides-as a consumer of news and as someone who contributes to public debate. ‘I regularly write on governance, constitutionalism and accountability. Suddenly there was nowhere to publish those opinions. It affected not only me but many lawyers, academics and ordinary citizens whose voices contribute to national discourse,’ he says.
Mr Yub says he had intended to comment on several major developments, including ongoing court proceedings involving political leaders and international legal cases, but lost the opportunity. Although he continued following events through online platforms, he says they could not easily replace the editorial standards that NMG publications have built over decades. ‘Social media can provide speed, but credibility is earned over many years,’ Mr Yub says. Political and cultural commentator Yusuf Serunkuma says the shutdown created a void in Uganda’s public conversation. ‘As someone involved in political and cultural commentary, NTV and Daily Monitor have been among my biggest platforms; When they were closed, part of me disappeared,’ he explains.
Mr Serunkuma argues that independent media performs an oversight role that benefits both citizens and those in government. ‘In countries where formal accountability institutions do not always perform optimally, independent journalism helps bridge that gap. Government may not always appreciate criticism, but it also benefits from scrutiny because it exposes weaknesses that require attention,’ he says. He says Uganda should explore sustainable mechanisms for supporting public-interest journalism without compromising editorial independence. The Vice Chairperson of Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), Mr George Musisi, says the shutdown highlighted the close relationship between media freedom and citizens’ constitutional right to information.
‘As a consumer of news, my access to information was limited,’ Mr Musisi, also Kira Municipality MP, says. ‘Parliament should strengthen oversight over institutions whose actions affect freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution,’ he added. Forum for Democratic Change deputy spokesperson Richard Muyombya says he particularly missed NMG’s investigative journalism and analytical reporting. ‘I missed Daily Monitor’s investigative pull-outs, opinion pages and NTV’s balanced news bulletins. Dembe FM’s morning programmes also kept many ordinary Ugandans informed without sensationalism,’ he adds. According to him, professional media houses perform functions that extend beyond reporting events. ‘When major media organisations go silent, public debate weakens, and scrutiny of public institutions diminishes.
Democracy depends on informed citizens,’ Mr Muyombya says. JEEMA spokesperson Dr Swaib Kaggwa Nsereko says the closure also carried economic implications.
‘NMG contributes through employment, corporate taxes, PAYE remittances and commercial activity. Interruptions therefore affect not only journalism but also the wider economy,’ he adds. For some households, the closure also interrupted learning. Mr Richard Tumwesigye says his children missed educational supplements and the Rainbow pages that have long encouraged reading among young learners. ‘The closure reminded us that newspapers do much more than report politics.
They support education and literacy,’ he says. As traditional platforms fell silent, many consumers increasingly relied on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and X for updates. Ms Azabu Jalia says while these platforms delivered information quickly, verification remained a constant challenge. ‘When professional journalism is interrupted, citizens are forced to rely on sources whose credibility is often difficult to establish.’ Human rights defender Flavia Ramto says independent journalism should never be viewed as hostility towards the State. ‘If leaders want better headlines, they should focus on better governance. Professional journalism reflects realities, however uncomfortable,’ she says.
LOOKING BACK
For many Ugandans, the latest closure revived memories of May 2013, when security agencies sealed Daily Monitor’s premises after publication of a letter alleging a succession plan within the ruling establishment. That shutdown, which lasted more than a week, disrupted newspaper production, advertising schedules and distribution networks across the country before publication eventually resumed.