Bobi Wine Condemns “Unconstitutional” Ban on Nation Media Group, Links it to Corruption Exposés

The National Unity Platform (NUP) leader, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has vehemently condemned the blockade of Nation Media Group (NMG) journalists from Parliament, labeling it a blatant assault on media freedom and a retaliatory move for critical reporting.

In a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, the presidential candidate expressed grave concern over the “disturbing news” that journalists from Daily Monitor, NTV Uganda, and other NMG platforms have been “unilaterally blocked” from covering Parliament, following an earlier ban from covering activities involving President Yoweri Museveni.

“We strongly condemn this unconstitutional action, and urge the leadership of Parliament to immediately reverse it,” Bobi Wine declared.

While acknowledging that no official reason has been provided for the ban, the opposition leader asserted a direct link to NMG’s recent investigative work. “We have reason to believe that it is a retaliatory measure against the Nation Media Group for news stories that it has published recently exposing the blatant abuse of power and corruption of ongoing electoral processes,” he stated, referring to senior parliamentary officials.

He framed the action not merely as an attack on the media, but as a fundamental violation of the Ugandan people’s rights. “The ban is not just a cowardly attack on the Ugandan people’s right to know how they are governed, but also an unjustified assault on Article 29 of our Constitution which guarantees the twin freedoms of speech and the press.”

Bobi Wine further contextualized the ban as part of a broader, escalating crackdown on independent journalism in the country. “The clampdown on independent media has gone beyond bans: journalists have also been repeatedly beaten… and threatened just for doing their jobs,” he said, citing the Kawempe by-election as an example.

He accused the regime of “treating journalists as enemies of the state just for doing their constitutional duty.”

Reaffirming his party’s stance, Bobi Wine expressed unwavering solidarity with the media. “We stand in full solidarity with the brave journalists of Nation Media Group, and all other media practitioners in Uganda who continue to report the truth despite the serious risk.”

The condemnation from the NUP leader adds significant political weight to the growing backlash against the media ban. The incident has already been condemned by major media associations, and Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has publicly distanced the Parliament’s top leadership from the decision, pledging to investigate. The Nation Media Group itself has defiantly called for the respect of constitutional media freedoms, vowing to continue its “bold and thoughtful journalism.”