Uganda's Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has ordered the shutdown of NTV Uganda, Spark TV and Daily Monitor, sparking fresh concerns over press freedom in the country.
Reports indicate that NTV Uganda and Spark TV were taken off air in the early hours of Sunday after security officers conducted an overnight operation at Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda's headquarters in Namuwongo, Kampala.
The move followed a series of controversial posts by General Muhoozi, the son of President Yoweri Museveni, on X, in which he declared his intention to act against the media outlets.
"Mzee has approved my plan to close both NTV and Monitor. We are moving immediately!" he wrote.
The operation is believed to have been triggered by what the military chief described as unfavourable coverage of Uganda's top leadership. In recent weeks, the affected media houses had aired and published investigative reports and features focusing on the country's political and security establishment.
"From now on, ALL bad stories about Uganda have to be cleared by my office! In Uganda, I DO NOT believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution," he added.
General Muhoozi, who has frequently drawn attention for his outspoken social media posts, also said the affected media outlets would remain closed until he authorised their reopening.
Nation Media Group Uganda operates several media platforms, including the 20-year-old NTV Uganda, Star TV, Daily Monitor, The EastAfrican and Dembe FM.
The latest incident has drawn comparisons with a similar operation in May 2013, when armed police raided the offices of Daily Monitor after the newspaper published a letter allegedly written by Gen David Sejusa, then Coordinator of Intelligence Services. The letter claimed there was a succession plan to position Muhoozi as President Museveni's successor.
The allegations, later dubbed the "Muhoozi Project", were strongly denied by the Ugandan government.
Following the publication, authorities sealed the newspaper's offices and suspended broadcasts by KFM and Dembe FM, saying the operation formed part of criminal investigations into the leaked intelligence document.
At the time, local and international media rights organisations condemned the raid, describing it as a serious attack on press freedom and independent journalism in Uganda.