The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) and the East Africa Journalists Association have condemned the shutdown of NTV Uganda and Spark TV following an order by Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
The two Nation Media Group (NMG) television stations, located in Namuwongo and Serena Hotel, Kampala, were reportedly raided yesterday. The fate of NMG’s newspapers and other media outlets, including the widely read Daily Monitor, remains unclear.
The NMG offices were raided shortly after midnight, with employees saying they were prevented from entering their workplaces.
As a result, NTV Uganda and Spark TV were taken off the air and are no longer broadcasting.
At 1:07 a.m. on Sunday, General Muhoozi posted:
“NTV and Monitor are closed effective today. They will not reopen without my permission.”
In another post, he wrote:
“Here in Uganda, I do not believe in media freedom. The media should be guided by revolutionary principles.”
These statements followed threats made last week, when General Muhoozi repeatedly said he was waiting for approval from his father, President Yoweri Museveni, before shutting down the media outlets, which employ thousands of people.
In Uganda, Nation Media Group (NMG) owns NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor, The EastAfrican, Spark TV, 93.3 KFM, 90.4 Dembe FM, Ennyanda newspaper, and Nation Courier, among other media businesses.
No explanation was issued by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) or the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) regarding the closure of the television stations or any legal order authorizing the action.
“We call on the Government of Uganda to follow the law if it believes any laws have been violated.
“We stand in solidarity with our fellow journalists in Uganda,” said Eric Oduor, President of the East Africa Journalists Association.
The East African Media Council also said that the growing hostility between governments and the media across the region must be addressed.
The council criticized governments in the region for intimidating and targeting journalists, saying such actions are increasingly being encouraged by senior government leaders.Is Muhozi preparing himself to takeover from hiis father.
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