Uganda’s Military Chief Orders Closure of Two Media Outlets, Rejects ‘Free Press’

KAMPALA – Uganda’s military chief, who is also President Yoweri Museveni’s son, says he has ordered the closure of two leading media outlets and declared that he does “not believe in a free press.” 

The statement has raised fresh concerns about press freedom in Uganda, where independent media have long served as a key source of information, debate and public accountability. 

In his remarks, the military chief dismissed the principle of a free press. He did not name the two outlets affected or provide a timeline for the closures, and authorities had not released further details on the grounds for the order at the time of publication. 

Media organisations typically operate on public trust built through objectivity, accuracy and independence from political or commercial influence. Their core mandate is to educate, inform and entertain, while holding power to account and providing citizens with verified information to participate in public life. 

Press freedom groups have repeatedly warned that restrictions on independent media undermine democratic oversight and citizens’ right to information. 

Ugandan authorities had not commented by publication on whether the closures would proceed or how the outlets might respond. 

Attempts to reach the military chief’s office for clarification on which media houses are affected were unsuccessful at the time of publication. 

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