NMG shutdown: employees grapple with uncertain future

Three weeks after the military sealed off Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda offices, hundreds of employees remain uncertain about their future as the country’s largest private media house remains closed.

Behind the public debate over press freedom and ongoing negotiations between the company and the government is a growing human toll, with employees across the organisation grappling with anxiety over their jobs, finances and when, or if, they will return to work.

Several staff members, who requested anonymity because they had been instructed not to speak publicly about the shutdown or ongoing negotiations, described mounting uncertainty over their future.

“Do you remember COVID-19, when people woke up every morning with nowhere to go? That is exactly what this feels like,” an NTV journalist said. “You wake up, but you don’t know what comes next. Your routine is gone.”

The journalist said the uncertainty had become more difficult with each passing day.

“We all hope the company reopens, but nobody knows when that will happen. There is always a chance things could take longer or change completely. That uncertainty is frightening.”

Employees told URN that while initial conversations largely focused on the legality of the closure, attention has increasingly shifted to personal concerns, particularly mental wellbeing and financial survival.

“The shutdown came after we had already received our salaries for the month,” a Daily Monitor employee said.

“But now everyone is wondering about the next payday. If it doesn’t come, some people have no alternative source of income.”

URN has learnt that management assured employees on the payroll that salaries would continue to be paid in accordance with their contracts. While the assurance has eased concerns among permanent staff, it offers little comfort to freelance contributors and contract workers whose earnings depend on published stories, television assignments, photographs and commissioned content.

Several freelancers said they are struggling to meet household expenses. Some have turned to their savings, while others are relying on relatives or taking temporary jobs as they wait for the newsroom to reopen.

“I survive on stories,” one freelance reporter said. “If my stories are not published, I do not earn anything. The bills have not stopped because the newsroom is closed.”

Another freelance contributor said the shutdown marked the longest period they had gone without work since joining the profession.

“I have spent years building sources and chasing stories every single day. Now I am sitting at home watching major events happen without knowing when I will return to work. The hardest part is explaining to your family why you are home every day when you still don’t know what tomorrow looks like.”

Not all employees believe the immediate financial impact is equally severe. One journalist argued that while the shutdown has disrupted livelihoods, it should also serve as a reminder of the importance of financial planning.

“This should be a wake-up call. Journalists need to develop other sources of income because this profession is unpredictable. Even without this shutdown, depending entirely on freelance payments is risky.”

Information obtained by URN indicates that employee welfare has become a recurring issue during internal management meetings since the closure.

Management has reportedly acknowledged growing concerns over staff wellbeing and is arranging counselling sessions alongside departmental meetings to help employees cope with the uncertainty. Supervisors have also been encouraged to maintain regular contact with staff.

Employees said management had acknowledged that freelance contributors and other contract workers have been the hardest hit because their incomes depend largely on published or commissioned work.

“Management told employees that it recognises the financial hardship facing freelance contributors and other contract workers. It said their concerns would be addressed once the company resumes operations,” one employee said.

Staff have also been informed that discussions between the company and the government are continuing, although no timeline has been communicated for the reopening of the offices.

“We are trying to stay hopeful because that is all we have,” another reporter said. “We love this work, and we want to return to it. We only hope those making the decisions remember that behind this shutdown are hundreds of families wondering how they will make it through another week.”

URN contacted Nation Media Group Uganda management for comment on the situation and the welfare of its employees. By publication time, the company had not responded.

Speaking at the Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday, ICT Minister Justine Kasule Lumumba acknowledged the challenges facing more than 700 NMG Uganda employees who have been unable to access their workplace since the closure.

She said employees could eventually resume work once the security investigation into the company is concluded.

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