East Africa’s largest independent media company has resumed operations in Uganda after the country’s military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, President Yoweri Museveni’s son and widely seen as his political heir, lifted a weeks-long shutdown that had silenced some of the country’s biggest newspapers, television stations and radio outlets.
Nation Media Group has resumed operations in Uganda after talks between new majority owner Rostam Azizi and President Museveni’s son, weeks after a military-ordered shutdown.
- East Africa’s biggest independent media company has resumed operations in Uganda weeks after President Yoweri Museveni’s son and military chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, ordered the shutdown of its media outlets.
- The reopening followed talks between Nation Media Group’s new majority owner, Tanzanian billionaire Rostam Azizi, and Kainerugaba.
- The shutdown had disrupted one of the company’s largest regional businesses, raising concerns over political risk, investor confidence and media freedom.
- The resolution marks the first major leadership test for Azizi since taking control of Nation Media Group earlier this year.
The reopening followed talks between Kainerugaba and Tanzanian billionaire Rostam Azizi, the new majority shareholder of Kenya-listed Nation Media Group (NMG), bringing an end to one of the most significant political and commercial crises faced by the regional media giant in recent years.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Azizi thanked President Museveni for the decision to allow the company’s Ugandan operations to resume and expressed appreciation to Kainerugaba for supporting the discussions that led to the breakthrough.
Neither the Ugandan government nor the military explained why the shutdown had been reversed.
The development comes barely weeks after Kainerugaba ordered the closure of Nation Media’s Ugandan operations, including the Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, Spark TV, KFM and Dembe FM, without publicly stating the reasons for the action.
The shutdown forced the broadcaster off the air, halted newspaper printing and disrupted one of East Africa’s largest media businesses. The closure drew criticism from press freedom groups and international observers.
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Tanzanian billionaire Rostam Azizi led talks that paved the way for Nation Media Group’s return to Uganda after a weeks-long shutdown.BI Africa
The crisis is the first major political challenge faced by Azizi since acquiring a controlling stake in Nation Media earlier this year from the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, ending more than six decades of ownership by the Aga Khan family.
The acquisition was one of the most significant media transactions in East Africa in recent years, placing one of the region’s best-known businessmen at the helm of a company with operations spanning Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.
Instead of pursuing a prolonged legal battle, Azizi opted for direct engagement with Uganda’s political and military leadership.
His intervention culminated in high-level discussions with Kainerugaba, whose influence extends well beyond the military.
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As Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces and the son of President Museveni, Kainerugaba has become one of the country’s most powerful political figures.
Frequently viewed as the frontrunner to eventually succeed his father, he has taken on an increasingly prominent public role, often making major policy announcements through his social media accounts.
A business risk beyond journalism
While the shutdown attracted global attention over concerns about press freedom, it also exposed the commercial risks facing companies operating in politically sensitive markets.
Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, ordered the closure of Nation Media Group’s Ugandan outlets before the government allowed operations to resume.Pulse Live Kenya
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Uganda is one of Nation Media Group’s largest markets outside Kenya, with investments spanning television, radio, newspapers and digital publishing.
The suspension of those operations disrupted advertising revenue, broadcasting, newspaper circulation and audience engagement in one of the group’s most strategically important regional businesses.
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For investors, the episode underscored how political decisions can rapidly affect listed companies operating across African markets, even where businesses have established regional footprints.
The reopening is therefore expected to restore one of Nation Media’s most valuable revenue-generating operations while easing immediate concerns over a prolonged disruption to the company’s Ugandan business.
The latest dispute also reflects a broader history of tensions between Uganda’s government and independent media.
In 2013, authorities shut down the Daily Monitor for 10 days after it published reports about an alleged succession plan involving President Museveni’s son.
The recent closure further heightened international concerns over media freedom in Uganda, where Museveni has ruled since 1986, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Human rights organisations have repeatedly criticised restrictions on opposition groups, journalists and independent media, particularly during politically sensitive periods.
Although Nation Media has resumed operations, neither the company nor Ugandan authorities have disclosed whether any formal commitments or conditions formed part of the negotiations that led to the reopening.
