Defiant NMG Condemns “Cancer of Intolerance” After Being Barred from Parliament and Presidency

The Nation Media Group (NMG)-Uganda has issued a forceful condemnation of its ongoing blockade from covering the Presidency and Parliament, warning that the restrictions violate constitutional media freedoms, deprive citizens of critical information, and threaten the financial sustainability of independent journalism.

In a hard-hitting statement, the media house described the actions as part of a “growing cancer of intolerance” and directly challenged the institutions to uphold the constitution. The rebuke comes after Parliament enforced a ban on NMG journalists on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, effectively barring its outlets, including NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor, from its proceedings.

This parliamentary blockade follows months of similar restricted access to the Presidency, a limitation that began in March 2025 and also affected Next Media, the parent company of the Nile Post. NMG-Uganda stated it has received no formal explanation for either ban, denying it due process or a right of reply.

Ms. Susan Nsibirwa, the Managing Director of NMG-Uganda, anchored the company’s defiance in the nation’s supreme law. “Denying coverage and access to independent media violates the letter and spirit of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of the press, media, and expression,” Nsibirwa stated, citing Article 29 of the 1995 Constitution, the Access to Information Act 2005, and the Press and Journalist Act.

She argued that beyond the legal breach, the restrictions have a profound civic cost by depriving citizens of information about how their elected leaders operate, thereby “undermining accountability, transparency, and good governance.”

The statement also highlighted the severe financial repercussions of such government-led blackouts. The media house warned that these blocks often discourage advertisers, particularly those affiliated with the state, thereby straining revenue and its ability to sustain independent operations.

The standoff is particularly notable given the September visit of the conglomerate’s owner, the Aga Khan, who met with President Yoweri Museveni at State House Entebbe. It remains unclear whether the access restrictions were discussed during the high-level meeting.

Despite the mounting pressure, NMG-Uganda reaffirmed an unwavering commitment to its journalistic mandate. “We shall not abdicate our responsibility to do bold and thoughtful journalism, and to hold those in power accountable,” the statement read, boldly declaring that “media freedom is unstoppable.”

The organization pointed to a pattern of repression against its journalists, citing incidents during the Kawempe North parliamentary by-election and ongoing presidential campaigns as evidence of a “growing culture of intolerance.”

In a closing reminder of the stakes involved, NMG-Uganda reiterated its role as a public watchdog, stating, “Independent media like ours seeks to hold those in power accountable to citizens… We should always remember that democracy dies in darkness.”