Muhoozi presents 5-year report on ‘NMG activism, anti-government bias,’ to owners

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba presented Nation Media Group owners with a five-year report accusing Nation Media Group outlets including Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda of bias, inaccurate reporting and activism

The Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations on Wednesday met the leadership of NMG Uganda to discuss the closure of the company's media outlets, 

The meeting took place at the Special Forces Command headquarters in Entebbe.  It was attended by NMG owner Rostam Aziz, his son Saam Aziz, Georgia Mutagaywa of Taarifa Limited, Mwenda and acting Defence Public Information Director Col Chris Magezi.

Andrew Mwenda, the spokesperson of PLU said during the meeting the CDF tabled complaints that the government had gathered against the company for several years.

“Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba met with the owners of Nation Media Group about a series of complaints that the government has accumulated over so many years against the media company. He had a report this thick, about stories they have done over the last five years that are biased and untrue,” Mwenda said.

“His aim was to show that Monitor and NTV have been reporting stories, doing news analyses, many of which are untrue or inaccurate and many of which are unfair and unbalanced.”

Mwenda said the report reviewed 100 leading stories done by the Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda on government.

Of these, he said,  97% had been negative toward the government, while on the opposition they were 100% or sympathetic. 

“Gen Muhoozi’s argument is that this is not journalism; this is activism. We don't have a newspaper, we have an opposition party mouthpiece. All that the government of Uganda wants is a paper that is fair and balanced and truthful and accurate and that provides context,” he said.

The meeting followed the closure of NMG Uganda outlets, including the Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, KFM, Dembe FM and Spark TV. Reuters reported that staff remained unable to access the offices as talks continued.

ICT minister Justine Kasule Lumumba said the disruption followed a security-led inquiry ordered by President Museveni. 

“The inquiry involves the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, the Criminal Investigations Directorate of the … police, other security agencies and experts,” she said.

The shutdown has drawn criticism from press freedom groups. Amnesty International described it as part of a campaign of harassment and intimidation against independent media and civil society.