Kampala, this morning. Soldiers from the Ugandan People’s Defence Force entered the offices of Daily Monitor and NTV. Cables cut. Doors locked. Staff sent home. The official line: “temporary closure for security review.” No one in Westminster believes that.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, broke her silence within hours. A terse statement from Marlborough House: “The right to a free media is a fundamental value of our family. We demand an immediate restoration of press freedom in Uganda.” Strong words. But words alone mean little when soldiers hold the keys.
This is not a random act. Yoweri Museveni has been in power since 1986. He knows the game. The shutdown comes days after the Daily Monitor published leaked documents suggesting military overspend and corruption at the highest levels. Classic. Shoot the messenger.
Downing Street sources tell me the Foreign Office is “monitoring closely.” That’s diplomatic code for “we’re not sure what to do.” The UK has a special relationship with Uganda. Aid money. Defence ties. But this is testing patience. One backbench Tory MP, who asked not to be named, said: “If we don’t call this out, we’re complicit. The Commonwealth must act, not just talk.”
The real question is what cards London holds. Aid suspensions have been tried before. They often backfire, strengthening the dictator’s narrative of foreign interference. Some in the FCDO argue for quiet diplomacy. Others want public shaming. The internal battle is as fierce as the one in Kampala.
Rwanda’s Paul Kagame is watching too. He has his own issues with press freedom. If Uganda gets away with this, expect others to follow. The Commonwealth’s credibility is on the line. Does it have teeth or is it just a talking shop?
I’ve been told by a senior diplomatic source that the UK’s High Commissioner in Kampala has requested an urgent meeting with President Museveni. No response yet. That silence speaks volumes.
For now, the journalists are off the air. But they’re not silent. They’ve moved to encrypted channels, sharing updates with the world. This story won’t disappear. The question is whether the Commonwealth can turn its demand into action. Or whether it will be yet another statement, filed and forgotten.
My sources in Kampala say the shutdown could last weeks. Enough time for incriminating evidence to be “lost.” Enough time for the message to sink in: criticise the regime, and you lose your platform. It’s a chilling warning to every journalist in Africa.
The next 48 hours are crucial. If the British government does not escalate, it will be seen as a green light. Museveni is testing boundaries. He needs to know that London is not just tweeting concern but willing to pull levers. And in this trade, quiet threats can be more powerful than public condemnations. Let’s see who blinks first.
