Nation Media Group (NMG) – Uganda is preparing to resume operations after a month-long shutdown that disrupted television, radio, newspaper and digital services following a military operation on June 28.
The company’s return was confirmed on Tuesday through separate statements issued by NMG and its majority shareholder, Tanzania’s Taifa Group, signalling the end of weeks of negotiations involving President Yoweri Museveni, Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and Taifa Group chairman Rostam Aziz.
Although the company did not indicate the exact time when all its platforms would be fully operational, it said services would resume in phases.
“Our services across television, print, radio and digital will be restored progressively as we complete the necessary operational arrangements,” NMG Chairman Joe Muganda said in a statement.
He added that the company remained committed to delivering “trusted and balanced journalism” while thanking readers, viewers, listeners, advertisers and business partners for standing with the organisation during the interruption.
The announcement came hours after Taifa Group welcomed the development, describing it as a victory for dialogue and regional cooperation.
The investment company, which earlier this year became NMG’s majority shareholder after acquiring a controlling 54.08 per cent stake through Taifa Limited, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the company’s editorial independence.
“We fully support the Group’s commitment to fair, balanced, independent and responsible journalism that informs, educates and contributes positively to public discourse,” Taifa Group said.
The media house’s operations were halted shortly after midnight on June 28 when security personnel entered its Namuwongo headquarters and the Kampala Serena International Conference Centre, where NTV Uganda and Spark TV operate.
The operation knocked NTV Uganda and Spark TV off air while disrupting production of the Daily Monitor, The EastAfrican, KFM, Dembe FM, sQoop and other digital platforms. Employees were denied access to the affected premises for weeks.
Gen Muhoozi later said the shutdown had been undertaken on the guidance of President Museveni, accusing the media house of pursuing what he described as a sustained campaign against the government while advancing opposition and foreign interests.
Behind the scenes, negotiations intensified as NMG suspended its online operations on June 30, saying the move was intended to create room for dialogue.
On July 1, Rostam Aziz met Gen Muhoozi at the Special Forces Command headquarters in Entebbe before holding another meeting with President Museveni at State House on July 17. Although neither side disclosed details of the discussions, the engagements fuelled speculation that a settlement was imminent.
The shutdown attracted criticism from media freedom organisations within and outside Uganda, with several groups urging authorities to safeguard press freedom and restore the company’s operations.
While Tuesday’s announcement confirms that NMG will resume broadcasting and publishing, neither the company nor government officials have publicly disclosed whether any conditions were attached to the reopening.
The resumption brings to a close one of the most consequential standoffs between the Ugandan state and the country’s largest independent media organisation in more than a decade.
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