Uganda’s army chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has ordered the closure of two prominent media outlets, prompting a sharp rebuke from the British Foreign Office. The Daily Monitor and the independent television station NBS Television were shut down on Wednesday, with military officials citing national security concerns. No formal charges have been filed.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said the closures represent a “direct attack on press freedom” and called for the immediate reopening of the outlets. The British High Commission in Kampala expressed alarm over the “accelerating erosion of democratic space” ahead of elections scheduled for 2026.
General Kainerugaba, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni, defended the action on social media, accusing the outlets of “publishing falsehoods that threaten state security.” The move follows a pattern of tightening controls on independent journalism in the East African nation.
Reporters Without Borders ranks Uganda 125th out of 180 countries in its World Press Freedom Index, a decline of 25 places since 2020. The closures are likely to deepen international concern over the country’s political trajectory under President Museveni, who has been in power since 1986.
