The Uganda military has shut down six newspapers and radio and TV stations owned by the Kenya-headquartered Nation Media Group (NMG), including the Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda.
Restrictions on Freedoms
The closure is the latest restriction on freedoms ordered by Uganda’s military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also President Yoweri Museveni’s son. Kainerugaba did not give specific reasons for the shutdown, but said the outlets would not reopen without his permission.
Amnesty International has condemned the move, saying it is part of an “unchecked and unjust campaign of harassment and intimidation of independent media and civil society”. The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair, Jim Risch, has also called for a review of the US security relationship with Uganda, citing Kainerugaba’s attacks on free speech.
Negotiations are ongoing to reopen the outlets, according to NMG’s managing director in Uganda, Susan Nsibirwa. However, military personnel have surrounded the offices, and staff are still unable to access them.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
