Big Story: NTV, Daily Monitor Blocked From Covering Parliament Activities, Accreditation Withdrawn | See Why! 

By Our Reporter

A standoff over media freedom unfolded at the Parliament of Uganda on Tuesday morning after security personnel reportedly blocked an NTV Uganda crew from accessing the premises, sparking outrage from opposition legislators and renewed debate about shrinking press space in the country.

The journalists, attached to Nation Media Group’s NTV Uganda, were allegedly stopped at the main entrance and had their press accreditation tags withdrawn by security officers who cited “instructions not to let them in” but gave no specific reason.

The incident has drawn sharp condemnation from opposition members who believe it is linked to NTV’s recent reporting on “unopposed candidates” in Parliament, a series that highlighted the top leadership of the House, including the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi described the move as an attack on media freedom.

“Information reaching us is that the leadership of Parliament is angry because of the stories NTV has been running about ‘unopposed candidates,’ including the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. What a shame,” Ssenyonyi said.

On the floor of Parliament, Acting Leader of the Opposition Muwanga Kivumbi demanded an official explanation and urged the House to protect the independence of the press.

“Mr. Speaker, the House must take action to ensure media independence and press freedom are not suffocated,” Kivumbi stated.

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa distanced Parliament’s top leadership from the decision and promised to follow up on the matter.

“The Speaker and I are not involved in the accreditation process of the media. But we shall take interest in the matter, though I’m more interested in understanding the regulation under which they are accredited,” Tayebwa said, adding that the withdrawal of NTV’s accreditation was “news” to him.

Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, a former journalist, also weighed in, calling for a ministerial explanation and warning that the move could be part of a wider effort to silence critical media voices.

“I worked at Monitor before I came here. NTV can’t cover the President — I don’t know if that’s not deliberate to strangle Nation Media. Can we get an explanation from the Minister on what crimes Nation Media has committed, if any?” Ssemujju asked.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time NMG, which owns NTV Uganda and the Daily Monitor, has faced hostility from state authorities. President Yoweri Museveni has, on several occasions, publicly fumed at the media house, accusing it of being “anti-government” and “biased against the NRM.”

Because of the above, NTV has reportedly faced restrictions in covering presidential events and accessing certain official functions, with its journalists often accused of “negative reporting.” The latest incident at Parliament, observers say, only deepens the perception of systematic targeting of independent media voices in Uganda.