Tanzanian billionaire behind East Africa's biggest media group steps in after Uganda army chief shut down media outlet

Tanzanian billionaire Rostam Aziz has personally stepped into the crisis surrounding the shutdown of Nation Media Group’s (NMG) Ugandan operations, travelling to Entebbe for talks with Uganda’s military chief as efforts intensify to restore one of East Africa’s largest independent media businesses.

• Tanzanian billionaire Rostam Aziz has personally intervened after Uganda’s military shut down Nation Media Group’s Ugandan operations.
• Aziz met General Muhoozi Kainerugaba as efforts continue to reopen NTV Uganda, Daily Monitor and other affected outlets.
• Muhoozi said President Yoweri Museveni will make the final decision on whether the media organisations can resume operations.
• The episode is the first major political and commercial test for Aziz since acquiring control of Nation Media Group earlier this year.

Aziz met Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, at the Special Forces Command headquarters on Wednesday, July 1, just days after the military ordered the closure of NTV Uganda, Spark TV, KFM, Dembe FM and the Daily Monitor’s printing operations.

The meeting marks the latest development in a dispute that has shaken Uganda’s media industry.

Armed security personnel raided Nation Media Group's facilities in Kampala in the early hours of June 28, forcing its television and radio stations off the air and blocking staff from accessing the Daily Monitor printing press.

The shutdown followed a series of social media posts by Muhoozi accusing the media house of running what he described as hostile and biased coverage against the Ugandan government.

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Aziz was accompanied by his son, Saam Aziz, and Georgia Mutagaywa, Chief of Staff at Taarifa Limited, the holding company through which he controls Nation Media Group. Journalist Andrew Mwenda, who has served as an intermediary in discussions involving the military and media organisations, also attended the meeting, alongside Acting UPDF Director of Defence Public Information, Colonel Chris Magezi.

According to a statement released after the meeting, both sides reviewed what the Ugandan authorities described as instances of biased and malicious reporting by the media group. The statement added that Nation Media Group’s ownership committed to pursuing journalism that is “patriotic, balanced and objective.”

Muhoozi said he would submit a report on the discussions to President Yoweri Museveni, who will make the final decision on whether the affected media outlets will be allowed to resume operations. He did not indicate when that decision would be made.

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First major test for Aziz

The crisis represents the first major political and commercial challenge for Aziz since completing his acquisition of a controlling stake in Nation Media Group from the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development in March, ending 66 years of Aga Khan stewardship of one of East Africa’s most influential media organisations.

At the time of the acquisition, Aziz described the investment as a purely commercial transaction and maintained that his personal relationships with political leaders across the region would not influence the company’s editorial independence.

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That commitment is now under renewed scrutiny following the Entebbe meeting, during which the company’s ownership indicated its willingness to pursue what the Ugandan authorities described as more patriotic journalism.

Nation Media Group’s Ugandan business employs more than 500 people and operates some of the country’s best-known independent news brands, making the prolonged shutdown a significant operational and commercial challenge.

Questions remain over the shutdown

No court order, regulatory directive or publicly available legal instrument has been produced to justify the closure.

Uganda’s Communications Commission has said it is consulting relevant government agencies, while Nation Media Group has continued publishing news through its digital platforms despite the suspension of its broadcast and print operations.

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Before the shutdown, Muhoozi had declared on social media that all negative stories about Uganda should receive clearance from his office and said he did not believe in a free press. He also claimed he had possessed the authority to close any media house since 2017.

The fate of Nation Media Group’s Ugandan operations now rests with President Museveni.

Beyond determining when the affected television, radio and newspaper operations can reopen, the decision will serve as an early test of Aziz’s ability to protect the editorial independence of East Africa’s largest independent media company while navigating political pressures in one of the region’s most closely watched media markets.

For investors and media observers alike, the outcome will have implications not only for more than 500 employees but also for confidence in private investment in independent journalism across East Africa.