The incident prompted concern from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), which said it had begun engaging the Ministry of ICT, the UCC, and the Chief of Defence Forces to seek clarification and encourage a peaceful resolution.
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has launched consultations with government agencies to establish the circumstances surrounding the shutdown of Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda’s television and radio stations following an overnight security operation.
In its first public response to the incident, UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo said the regulator was gathering verified information before making further pronouncements. He noted that the commission was aware that NMG outlets, including NTV Uganda, Spark TV, KFM, and Dembe FM, had been taken off air and was engaging the relevant authorities to determine the facts.
Thembo appealed to the public to remain calm as the consultations continue, assuring Ugandans that the commission would issue additional updates once the verification process is complete.
The disruption followed a security deployment at Nation Media Group’s headquarters in Namuwongo and at the Serena Hotel, which hosts part of the broadcaster’s transmission infrastructure. The operation resulted in NTV Uganda and Spark TV going off air at around 5:00 a.m., while KFM and Dembe FM also experienced interruptions to their broadcasts.
The shutdown came hours after Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced on X that NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor would be closed. In separate posts, he declared that the two media outlets would remain shut until he authorised their reopening.
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The incident prompted concern from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), which said it had begun engaging the Ministry of ICT, the UCC, and the Chief of Defence Forces to seek clarification and encourage a peaceful resolution.
The situation escalated further when Gen. Kainerugaba instructed police patrols to arrest Nation Media Group Uganda Managing Director Susan Nsibirwa. However, he later revealed that he had been advised by Uganda Media Centre Executive Director Ofwono Opondo, also known as Allan Kajja, against carrying out the arrest and indicated that he would withdraw the directive.