Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has formally cleared Nation Media Group (NMG)-Uganda to resume operations, exactly one month after the country’s largest independent media house was shut down in a military crackdown that disrupted its television, radio and newspaper platforms.
In a July 29 letter addressed to NMG-Uganda Managing Director Susan Nsibirwa, UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo wrote: “I am pleased to inform you that I have received instructions from H.E. the President of the Republic of Uganda clearing re-opening of your businesses.”
The regulator’s notice came a day after Taifa Group announced that Museveni had authorized the resumption of NMG’s operations in Uganda, capping weeks of high-level engagements involving the Ugandan leader, first son and Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and NMG majority shareholder Rostam Azizi, whose investment vehicle, Taifa Limited, this year acquired a controlling 54.08 percent stake in Nation Media Group, East Africa’s largest independent media conglomerate.
Announcing the planned resumption of operations, NMG PLC Chairman Joe Muganda emphasized that the media house “would remain focused on the delivery of trusted and balanced journalism across all our platforms.”
Daily Monitor readers are expected to access the newspaper’s remotely produced e-paper edition and online news updates from 6am Thursday, marking the first major phase of the company’s digital restoration, according to NMG-Uganda General Manager Editorial Allan Chekwech.
NTV Ugandawill also return initially through its digital platforms, with its premium 7pm Akawungeezi news bulletin expected to air online on Thursday before the gradual restoration of conventional broadcasting services.
Chekwech Wednesday evening said the company would progressively reactivate all its legacy platforms, including Spark TV, 93.3 KFM and 90.4 Dembe FM, as technical and operational arrangements are completed.
The phased restoration follows a month of negotiations involving government officials, NMG’s new majority shareholder and the media group’s management.
In a July 28 statement, Taifa Group, welcomed the reopening as it reaffirmed its backing for the company’s editorial mission.
“As the majority shareholder of NMG, we fully support the Group’s commitment to fair, balanced, independent and responsible journalism that informs, educates and contributes positively to public discourse. We share the Group’s core mission of positively influencing society and believe that a strong, professional and responsible media plays an important role in supporting national development, good governance and regional integration,” the company said.
NMG’s operations were disrupted shortly after midnight on June 28 when security personnel raided Daily Monitor premises in Namuwongo and the Kampala Serena International Conference Centre, home to the NTV Uganda and Spark TV broadcast houses.
The operation resulted in a power outage that forced NTV Uganda and Spark TV off air at 5am that Sunday, while also disrupting operations across the media group’s newspaper platforms as well as its radio stations, 93.3 KFM and 90.4 Dembe FM.
The affected NMG premises were rendered inaccessible to hundreds of staff following the crackdown.
The shutdown was instituted on the orders of Gen Muhoozi, citing guidance from his father.
Gen Muhoozi said the action was prompted by what he described as a “sustained blackmail campaign by the media group against the government of Uganda and its leadership, alongside promoting opposition and foreign interests at the expense of Uganda.”
As negotiations gathered pace, NMG on June 30 internally suspended its online presence to create a conducive environment for high-level discussions aimed at resolving the impasse.
On July 1, Azizi met Gen Muhoozi at the Special Forces Command headquarters in Entebbe. The meeting was also attended by Saam Azizi and Ms Georgia Mutagaywa, Chief of Staff of Taarifa Limited, as discussions over the future of the media house continued.
Another breakthrough followed on July 17 when Museveni hosted Azizi at State House Entebbe.
While the President confirmed the meeting in a post on X, he did not disclose what the two discussed. The meeting nevertheless fuelled speculation that a resolution was imminent.
When this reporter visited the Kampala Serena International Conference Centre on July 15, security remained visibly tight.
About 15 armed infantry personnel were deployed around the premises, with at least two carrying what appeared to be sub-machine guns. Namuwongo was also out of bounds.
It was not immediately clear when the elite forces that led the June 28 operation handed over responsibility for securing the premises to the infantry personnel.
By Wednesday evening, it was not immediately clear when the remaining soldiers would withdraw from the Namuwongo and Serena premises for full resumption of operations.
Throughout the shutdown, access to NMG’s Namuwongo headquarters and Serena offices remained tightly restricted, with journalists and other staff unable to freely access their workplaces.
The closure drew concern from regional media organizations and press freedom advocates, who called for restraint and urged authorities to safeguard media freedom.
NMG Uganda, which has identified itself as “Uganda’s Bold Voice” since the run-up to the 2026 General Election, operates NTV Uganda, the Daily Monitor, The East African, Spark TV, 93.3 KFM, 90.4 Dembe FM, Ennyanda newspaper and the Nation Courier, among other critical platforms.
The resumption of operations will mark the end of one of the most significant confrontations between the Ugandan state and the country’s largest independent media organisation in more than a decade.