Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda has instructed its editorial teams to suspend all online publishing and digital broadcasts as negotiations with the government continue over the reopening of its media operations.
The decision extends the impact of the shutdown beyond the company’s television and print platforms, leaving its websites and social media channels largely inactive while senior management pursues a resolution.
According to sources familiar with the developments, senior executives from NMG’s headquarters in Kenya, led by Group CEO Geoffrey Odindo and Group Editor-in-Chief Joe Ageyo, travelled to Kampala earlier this week to oversee discussions with government officials and guide the company’s response to the crisis.
The executives reportedly held several internal consultations before convening a virtual meeting with staff on Wednesday evening. The session was attended by NMG Uganda Managing Director Susan Nsibirwa, General Manager Editorial Allan Chekwech, editors, reporters and employees from across the company’s various media platforms.
During the meeting, management informed staff that all online publishing and digital broadcasts would be suspended with immediate effect to avoid disrupting the ongoing negotiations with authorities.
Employees were urged to remain patient as discussions progress, with management reaffirming its commitment to professional and independent journalism once the company’s operations are fully restored.
Staff were also encouraged to exercise caution in their public communications, particularly on social media, to avoid undermining the negotiation process.
The latest directive follows the closure of NMG Uganda’s operations by security agencies on Sunday. Despite the suspension of its television broadcasts and restricted access to its premises, the company had continued publishing news through its digital platforms over the past few days.
Daily Monitor journalists continued filing stories for the newspaper’s website, while NTV Uganda maintained limited online programming, including streaming its Luganda news bulletin, Akawungeezi, on social media.
That came to an end on Wednesday evening when the expected Akawungeezi broadcast did not air, signalling the implementation of the new directive.
The internal decision followed a high-level meeting in Entebbe involving Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and representatives of Nation Media Group, including majority shareholder Rostam Aziz.
Sources familiar with the discussions said the meeting focused on concerns over the editorial content published by the Daily Monitor and reports aired on NTV Uganda.
It is understood that Gen. Muhoozi presented examples of news coverage he considered balanced alongside reports he believed reflected bias, while also expressing concerns about some editions of Akawungeezi, arguing that they had crossed from journalism into activism.
The discussions reportedly explored possible pathways for restoring the company’s operations. Participants included Rostam Aziz, his son Saam Aziz, Taarifa Limited Chief of Staff Georgia Mutagaywa and journalist Andrew Mwenda, who has publicly acknowledged efforts to mediate the standoff.
Although the meeting was viewed as a positive step toward resolving the dispute, NMG management later informed staff that no timeline has yet been agreed for the resumption of normal operations. Negotiations between the company and the government are expected to continue.