UCC Speaks Out on Closure of Nation Media Group Outlets

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has broken its silence following the abrupt shutdown of Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda’s broadcasting and print operations, which were forced off the air by armed military personnel over the weekend.  

UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo issued a brief public statement acknowledging the unprecedented disruption. He confirmed that the regulatory body has officially noted the circumstances that led to NTV Uganda, Spark TV, Dembe FM, and KFM suddenly going off the air.  

To address the situation, Thembo stated that the Commission has immediately initiated consultations with relevant government stakeholders to obtain verified information regarding the overnight security operation. He strongly urged the public to remain calm and allow the consultative process to proceed without interference, promising that the communications regulator will provide further updates once the engagements are fully concluded.  

The UCC’s statement comes in the wake of widespread panic and condemnation across the media industry. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) quickly issued a holding statement expressing deep concern over the shutdown and its devastating impact on Uganda’s media ecosystem. The association emphasized that the actions taken against NMG directly threaten the rights enshrined under the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.  

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NAB leadership confirmed they are actively engaging the Ministry of ICT, the UCC, and the Chief of Defence Forces to seek urgent clarification and pursue an amicable resolution to the crisis. Similarly, civil society groups have described the heavy security deployment at the media house premises as an outright military siege of the press meant to intimidate independent journalism.  

The media blackout was directed by the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who declared on social media that the outlets would not reopen without his explicit permission. The situation further escalated when the General publicly directed police patrols to arrest NMG Uganda Managing Director Susan Nsibirwa.  

However, Gen. Muhoozi later announced that he had been advised by the Uganda Media Centre Executive Director, Ofwono Opondo, not to proceed with the arrest, prompting him to temporarily halt the directive against the media executive.  

As consultations between the UCC and the military establishment continue, operations at East Africa’s largest independent media franchise remain completely paralyzed, leaving Ugandans in the dark regarding the immediate future of the country’s most prominent news outlets.