By Our Reporter
Veteran journalist and Nation Media Group (NMG) shareholder Wafula Oguttu has said the company will not dismiss its editors or senior managers to secure the reopening of its media operations, insisting that editorial independence should not be compromised.
Speaking on Capital FM’s The Capital Gang on Saturday, Oguttu said reports that the government wants changes in the company’s editorial and management structures would not force the media house to sacrifice its staff.
“They want us to sack some of our managers. They want us to sack some of our editors. That will not happen,” Oguttu said, adding, “We would rather close than sack them.”
His remarks come as negotiations continue following the suspension of operations at Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda and other Nation Media Group outlets after security agencies halted printing and broadcasting activities last weekend.
The government has attributed the action to an ongoing security investigation reportedly directed by President Yoweri Museveni and involving the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, the Uganda Police Force and other security agencies.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, government representatives have expressed concerns over the company’s editorial approach, arguing that some of its reporting has increasingly reflected activist and opposition perspectives. The same sources say officials have proposed changes to the company’s management and editorial leadership.
Among the issues reportedly raised is the leadership of Managing Director Susan Nsibirwa. Sources claim government officials have questioned her stewardship of the media house and accused her of using social media to criticise government officials while overseeing what they describe as an increasingly activist newsroom.
Nation Media Group has not publicly commented on the reported demands, and no official decision has been announced regarding the company’s leadership.
Despite Oguttu’s firm position, negotiations are reportedly being handled by the company’s principal shareholders together with senior government officials. The talks have involved Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, principal shareholders Rostam Aziz and Saam Aziz, and Georgia Mutagaywa of Taarifa Limited, underscoring the significance of the discussions over the future of the media house.
Oguttu said Nation Media Group has experienced disagreements with successive governments throughout its history but noted that previous disputes were generally addressed through established legal and regulatory mechanisms.
“We have had disagreements with government ever since we started because of stories they did not like,” he said. “What is happening now is different. It is neither constitutional nor lawful.”
He observed that previous concerns were commonly communicated through institutions such as the Uganda Communications Commission or the Ministry of Information, unlike the current situation.
“This time it came from a different direction. It came from the Chief of Defence Forces tweeting and closing a media house. That is something you never hear about,” he said.
Oguttu also defended the editorial standards of the Daily Monitor, saying its reports are based on documentary evidence and credible sources.
“Every story the Daily Monitor publishes has a basis, either a primary document or a reliable source. They do not make things up,” he said.
He acknowledged that while the newspaper has faced numerous court cases over its reporting, it has successfully defended many of them, although it has also lost some cases and paid damages, including in a defamation suit related to COVID-19 vaccine coverage.
Beyond concerns over media freedom, Oguttu warned that a prolonged shutdown could have significant economic consequences, affecting not only employees but also businesses and individuals who depend on the company’s operations.
He estimated that thousands of people, including journalists, broadcasters, suppliers, vendors, distributors and freelancers, could lose their livelihoods if the closure persists.
Nation Media Group, one of East Africa’s largest independent media companies, owns the Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, Spark TV, KFM, Dembe FM, The EastAfrican, Ennyanda newspaper and Nation Courier in Uganda.
The company has not indicated when its affected operations will resume, as discussions between its shareholders and government officials continue.