Da Dona
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
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President Yoweri Museveni on Friday held talks with businessman Rostam Aziz, the incoming majority shareholder of Nation Media Group (NMG), in the clearest sign yet that Uganda's highest political leadership is directly involved in efforts to resolve the closure of Nation Media - Daily Monitor , NTV Uganda, Spark, K.FM and Dembe .
Museveni announced the meeting in a post on X, saying: "Today at State House Entebbe, I met Mr. Rostam Aziz, Chairman of the Taifa Group of Companies." Photographs released by the Presidency showed Aziz accompanied by Georgia Mutagaywa, Chief of Staff at Taarifa Limited—the company through which Aziz is acquiring a controlling stake in Nation Media Group.
The meeting follows the shutdown of Nation Media Group Uganda's operations last month after the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, ordered the closure, accusing the media house of repeatedly publishing content he described as false and malicious against the Government. Security agencies subsequently sealed NMG premises, halted the printing of the Daily Monitor newspaper and took NTV Uganda, Spark TV, KFM and Dembe FM off air.
The closure affected over 1,142 employees and disrupted one of Uganda's largest independent media organisations. Journalists, civil society groups, media freedom advocates and opposition leaders condemned the move, describing it as an attack on press freedom and freedom of expression, while calling for the immediate reopening of the media house.
About two weeks ago, the same NMG delegation led by Rostam Aziz held talks with Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba in an attempt to negotiate a resolution to the standoff. Although both sides described the discussions as constructive, no immediate agreement was announced.
Museveni's latest meeting with Aziz is therefore being viewed as the strongest indication yet that negotiations have escalated to the highest level of government, raising hopes that the impasse could soon be resolved.