NTV Uganda and Spark TV were forced off air in the early hours of Sunday after security personnel deployed at Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda premises following public statements by Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba announcing that the broadcaster would be shut down.The security operation reportedly began shortly after midnight at Nation Media Group’s headquarters in Namuwongo and at the Serena Hotel in Kampala, where part of the broadcaster’s transmission infrastructure is located.By about 5:00 a.m., viewers attempting to access NTV Uganda and Spark TV found the channels unavailable. On GOtv, the stations displayed messages indicating “technical difficulties,” while other platforms showed “video unavailable.”The deployment followed a series of posts by Gen Kainerugaba on X in which he declared that NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor would be shut down.“NTV and Monitor are being shut down from today!” he posted shortly after 1:00 a.m.In another post, he added:“Both NTV and Monitor will not re-open without my permission.”Earlier, the CDF had also written:“In Uganda, I DO NOT believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution.”Nation Media Group Uganda is the parent company of NTV Uganda, Spark TV, Daily Monitor, KFM 93.3, Dembe FM 90.4, The EastAfrican, Ennyanda newspaper and Nation Courier.Staff at the media house reported that security personnel had sealed off the premises, preventing employees and visitors from entering or leaving. Security officers remained deployed at both the Namuwongo offices and the Serena Hotel throughout Sunday morning.While Daily Monitor continued publishing online, it was not immediately clear whether newsroom operations had been affected. KFM and Dembe FM also appeared to experience interruptions during the operation, although the cause had not been officially confirmed.By press time, neither the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), the Uganda Police Force nor the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) had issued a formal statement explaining the deployment or citing any legal authority for the shutdown.Nation Media Group Uganda had also not released an official statement on the incident.The shutdown follows several days of escalating criticism by Gen Kainerugaba directed at Nation Media Group journalists and publications through his social media accounts.The incident marks one of the most significant actions taken against a Ugandan media house in recent years.It is not the first time Nation Media Group has faced such action. In May 2013, police raided the Daily Monitor, Dembe FM and other NMG offices after the newspaper published a letter alleging the existence of the so-called “Muhoozi Project.” The premises remained closed for more than a week before operations resumed.Earlier, in February 2007, NTV Uganda was temporarily taken off air just weeks after its launch following accusations by government officials that its news coverage was hostile.As of press time, there had been no official communication indicating when NTV Uganda and Spark TV would resume broadcasting.The post NTV Uganda, Spark TV Taken Off Air After Security Deployment at Nation Media Group appeared first on The Insider.