NMG Uganda to resume operations after Museveni nod
Nation Media Group (NMG)-Uganda is set to resume full operations exactly one month after it was shut down on June 28, bringing to an end weeks of disruption following a military operation that forced its television and radio stations off air and rendered its newspaper operations inaccessible.
The reopening follows a series of high-level engagements involving President Museveni, first son and Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and NMG majority shareholder Rostam Azizi, the Tanzanian businessman whose investment vehicle, Taifa Group, this year acquired a controlling 54.08 percent stake in NMG, East Africa’s largest independent media conglomerate.
Announcing the planned resumption of operations, Nation Media Group PLC Chairman Joe Muganda said the media house would progressively restore services across its television, print, radio and digital platforms.
“As we return to serving you, our focus remains the delivery of trusted and balanced journalism across all our platforms,” Muganda said in a Tuesday statement.
He added: “We appreciate the patience and understanding shown by our audiences, clients and partners during this period and appreciate your continued trust and confidence in our brands.”
In a separate 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.
Taifa Group added: “This decision demonstrates the value of dialogue, mutual respect and regional cooperation. Taifa Group will continue investing in opportunities that create jobs, strengthen institutions and advance shared prosperity across East Africa.”
NMG’s operations were disrupted shortly after midnight on June 28 when security personnel raided the Daily Monitor premises in Namuwongo and the Kampala Serena International Conference Centre, home to the NTV and Spark TV broadcast studios.
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 television and newspaper platforms, as well as its radio stations, 93.3 KFM and 90.4 Dembe FM.m
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 President Museveni.
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 President 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.
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.
Neither was it 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 organisations 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 media 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, although it remained unclear whether any conditions had been attached to the reopening.
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