The plot thickens in Kampala. Uganda’s army chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has ordered the shutdown of two of the country’s most prominent media houses. The Daily Monitor and the Observer. Gone dark. Their offices raided, equipment seized. No prior warning. No court order. Just a text message from the general’s office, circulated to newsrooms at dawn.
This is not a drill. This is a direct assault on the Fourth Estate. And it has triggered an immediate response from the Foreign Office in London. A spokesperson called it “an unacceptable attack on press freedom”. They are “urgently seeking information” from the Ugandan High Commission. But let’s be clear: words are cheap. Actions are scarce.
Why now? The general, who is also the president’s son, has been on a power trip. He recently threatened to invade neighbouring Kenya. He called the President of Kenya a “clown”. He has been trolling on Twitter. Now he is silencing critics. The Daily Monitor had been investigating corruption in the military. The Observer had published leaked documents about arms deals. Coincidence? I think not.
Backbenchers in the Foreign Affairs Select Committee are already sharpening their knives. One senior Tory MP told me this morning: “We cannot be seen to be soft on autocrats. Not when we are lecturing others on democratic values.” Expect questions at PMQs. Expect a summons for the Ugandan ambassador.
But here is the hard truth. Uganda is a key ally. It has troops in Somalia fighting Al-Shabaab. It hosts refugees from South Sudan. It is a buffer against instability in the Great Lakes region. The Foreign Office is in a bind. Condemn, but don’t isolate. Sanctions are unlikely. Development aid? Unlikely to be cut.
What about the media? The two outlets have gone to court. But the judiciary in Uganda is not independent. The chief justice is a presidential appointee. The army is above the law. The general knows this. He is testing the waters. He wants to see how far he can push before the West blinks.
The signal sent to other African strongmen is clear: you can shut down inconvenient journalists with impunity. The precedent is dangerous. The erosion of press freedom is not a side issue. It is the canary in the coal mine for democratic decline.
Watch this space. The Foreign Office will be working behind the scenes. They dislike a fuss. They prefer quiet diplomacy. But quiet diplomacy has a poor track record. The general will not back down unless he feels real heat. That means personal sanctions, asset freezes, travel bans. Will the UK go that far? Don’t hold your breath.
For now, the voices of the Daily Monitor and the Observer are silenced. But the story is far from over. The phones are still ringing. The leaks are still coming. And I will be here, in the dark corner of the pub, waiting for the next twist.
