FDC Denounces Media Shutdown as 'Military Coup Against Free Press'

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has voiced strong opposition to the recent closure of several Nation Media Group (NMG) properties, including Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, and Spark TV. The party described the action as an “illegal attack on press freedom and constitutional governance.”

At a press briefing at the FDC headquarters, Deputy President Margaret Wokuri Madanda stated that the military occupied NMG’s premises without any court order or adherence to legal procedures. She characterized the shutdown as a “military coup against the free press,” suggesting it had the tacit approval of President Yoweri Museveni.

Madanda pointed out the silence from official bodies like the Uganda Police Force, the UPDF, and the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), the sector’s regulator, who have yet to provide an official explanation.

The FDC views this closure as part of a larger pattern of government intimidation against its critics. The party cited alleged abductions, torture, illegal detentions, and harassment of opposition members as evidence of a deteriorating democratic environment.

“The closure of NMG outlets is the latest in a sustained pattern of abductions, torture, illegal detentions and targeted harassment of government critics and opposition members carried out primarily by the Army,” Madanda stated.

The opposition party argued that the government’s actions disregard constitutional safeguards by proceeding without judicial authorization. The FDC urged Ugandans to defend constitutionalism and democratic governance through lawful means, referencing Article 3 of the Constitution which mandates citizens to protect the constitutional order.

The government had not issued a response to these allegations at the time of reporting.