Uganda military chief orders closure of two media outlets, saying he does "not believe in a free press"

NAIROBI- Uganda's military chief, who is also the president's son, said on Sunday he had ordered the closure of two leading media outlets, declaring that he did "not believe in a free press".

Muhoozi Kainerugaba said the Daily Monitor - Uganda's largest independent daily newspaper - and NTV Uganda, one of the country's largest private broadcasters, would "not re-open without my permission".

"In Uganda, I do not believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution," Kainerugaba wrote in a series of posts on the X platform.

He did not give specific reasons for closing the media outlets, both of which are owned by Nation Media Group (NMG) NMG.NR, a media conglomerate headquartered in Kenya and listed on the Nairobi stock exchange.

The Daily Monitor reported on Sunday that military personnel had been deployed at NMG's premises in the capital, Kampala, and that staff were being prevented from leaving or entering the premises.

NTV Uganda and other NMG TV and radio broadcasters in the country were all down as of Sunday morning.

Ugandan government spokesperson Alan Kasujja did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Susan Nsibirwa, managing director for NMG in Uganda, said she did not have an immediate comment.

Kainerugaba, who has been touted as a possible successor to his ageing father, President Yoweri Museveni, is well known for his controversial social media posts including threats to behead the leading opposition leader Bobi Wine.

In 2013, the government of Museveni, who has ruled the country since 1986, shut down the Daily Monitor for 10 days over reports regarding his succession.

(Reporting by Nairobi Newsroom; Editing by Ammu Kannampilly and Helen Popper)