The Nation Media Group–Uganda (NMG) has condemned the decision by the Parliament of Uganda to block its journalists from covering parliamentary proceedings, describing it as an attack on press freedom and democratic accountability.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, NMG said the move follows an earlier months-long blockade on its journalists from covering the President of Uganda, and signals what it called “a growing cancer of intolerance and restriction of media freedom.”
“We have noted with deep concern the decision to block our journalists from covering Parliament. There has been no formal communication to explain the reasons behind this blockade, and neither we nor our journalists have been informed of any contraventions or given the right of reply or due process,” said Susan Nsibirwa, the Managing Director of Nation Media Group–Uganda.
Nsibirwa said the action violates Articles 29(1)(a) and 41 of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda, which guarantee freedom of the press and access to information.
“These rights are not favours. They are enshrined in the Constitution and form the foundation of the rule of law and good governance,” she said.
She added that denying journalists access to cover public institutions like the Presidency and Parliament undermines accountability and transparency. “It also denies citizens the right to know what their elected leaders are doing in their name,” she noted.
The NMG chief pointed out that their journalists have faced increasing repression and violence, citing the Kawempe North parliamentary by-election in March 2025 and the ongoing presidential campaigns, where reporters were allegedly targeted.
“The latest decision by Parliament compounds what seems to be a growing intolerance of independent journalism, which we condemn in the strongest terms possible,” Nsibirwa said.
She reaffirmed NMG’s commitment to independent reporting and holding leaders accountable.
“We shall not abdicate our responsibility to do bold and thoughtful journalism, and to hold those in power accountable. We shall continue to defend media freedoms and the bill of rights guaranteed by our Constitution,” Nsibirwa asserted.
The media group urged both Parliament and the Presidency to respect the Constitution and uphold citizens’ right to access information, which is essential for journalists to perform their duties.
“We should always remember that democracy dies in darkness,” Nsibirwa concluded.
