Residents and business owners around Nation Media Group (NMG) offices in Namuwongo spent Sunday morning in fear and uncertainty after an overnight military operation forced the closure of the Daily Monitor newspaper, KFM, and Dembe FM.
The operation also affected the media group’s television stations, NTV Uganda and Spark TV, which broadcast from Kampala Serena Hotel. Both stations were taken off air following the security deployment.
Witnesses said soldiers began arriving at the Daily Monitor headquarters shortly after midnight, only hours after Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba publicly announced that the media outlets would be shut down.
By dawn, the premises had been sealed off, with armed soldiers controlling access and disrupting movement in the surrounding area.
Several traders operating near Wabigalo Community Centre, adjacent to the media house, declined to comment openly, saying they feared possible repercussions.
One resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he watched dozens of armed soldiers enter the compound late Saturday night.
“There were many soldiers. When they arrived, we decided to leave because it was already late,” he said. “When I came back in the morning, the offices were closed and soldiers had taken over the area.”
Karim Bwayo, a chapati vendor who serves customers near the Monitor offices, said he did not witness the overnight deployment because he had already closed his business. However, when he returned at around 5:30 a.m., he found the road under heavy military guard.
According to Bwayo, soldiers had blocked off Namuwongo Road from the Vivo Energy entrance to the junction near TotalEnergies headquarters, diverting both motorists and pedestrians to alternative routes.
“I went back home because there was no access,” he said. “When I returned around 7:00 a.m., the road had been reopened, but security was still visible.”
Bwayo added that the closure of the media house is likely to hurt his business since many of his regular customers are employees of Nation Media Group.
Throughout Sunday morning, security remained tight around the Daily Monitor premises. Masked soldiers carrying assault rifles guarded strategic points near the compound, while others stood at the main gate, preventing boda boda riders, motorists and pedestrians from using the section of road adjacent to the offices. Passers-by were instead instructed to walk on the opposite side of the road.
Inside the compound, additional soldiers patrolled the parking area and surrounding buildings. A private security guard, dressed in a sky-blue uniform, remained seated quietly between two armed soldiers at the entrance.
A similar security deployment was observed at Kampala Serena Hotel, where NTV Uganda and Spark TV operate from.
The hotel’s western entrance, opposite the Office of the Prime Minister, was heavily guarded by armed soldiers, many wearing face masks. Some security personnel stood watch while others were seen resting on the nearby lawns.
Despite the deployment, guests and visitors were still able to access the hotel through another entrance opposite Crested Towers. Security personnel remained stationed near the television studios and an ongoing renovation site, although movement in other parts of the hotel continued largely uninterrupted.
The shutdown follows weeks of escalating tensions between Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and Nation Media Group.
In mid-June, the Chief of Defence Forces threatened to close Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda after the outlets aired reports critical of his conduct. The dispute intensified after the military arrested Kampala Lord Mayor and opposition politician Erias Lukwago.
Following Lukwago’s arrest, Gen. Muhoozi posted messages on social media celebrating the detention and warning that Lukwago and other critics would experience what he described as “hurt and pain.”
NTV Uganda later aired a news report revisiting some of Muhoozi’s previous controversial public statements and allegations linked to his tenure, including claims of illegal detentions and kidnappings. The broadcast was widely viewed as a direct response to the military chief.
Muhoozi subsequently accused the media organisations of tarnishing his reputation. Writing on X, he declared that he intended to “switch off” Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda once he received President Yoweri Museveni’s approval. On Saturday night, he announced that he had obtained the President’s permission and would proceed with the shutdown, adding that he does not believe in a free press.
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