The Eastern Africa Editors Society (EAES) has demanded the complete withdrawal of military personnel from Ugandan media premises, describing their presence as an assault on press freedom.
The demand follows the closure of Ugandan TV stations, newspapers and radio outlets by army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also the son of president Yoweri Museveni.
The reasons that led to the closure is still unclear, but Kainerugaba in an X post says: “I do not believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution.”
He also says the outlets would not re-open without his permission.
EAES president Fitihawok Yewondwossen in a statement issued this week says the closure of media houses through military action has no place in a democratic society and that it undermines constitutional governance, erodes public confidence in state institutions and threatens the free flow of information at a time when Uganda requires an open civic space and robust public discourse.
He demands for the immediate reopening of all affected media outlets and the full guarantee for the safety and freedom of journalists and media workers.
“This unprecedented use of military force against independent media is a grave assault on press freedom, editorial independence and the public’s fundamental right to receive information.
“It is particularly alarming that the shutdown was accompanied by public statements rejecting the principle of a free press and asserting that media should operate only with military approval,” the statement reads.
Yewondwossen urges the African Union, the East African Community, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and all those committed to democratic governance to speak out against the “dangerous escalation” and to press for the immediate restoration of media freedom in Uganda.
The outlets closed include the Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda and associated nation media group broadcasting platforms.
The EAES is an umbrella body that brings together editor organisations in eastern Africa, and collaborates with relevant organisations for the advancement of media freedom and excellence in journalism.
