Ugandan military chief Muhoozi Kainrugaba, who is also the president’s son, ordered the closure of two major media outlets on Sunday, declaring that he “does not believe in a free press” and that journalists should be guided by government loyalists.Kanrugaba said the Daily Monitor, Uganda’s largest independent daily newspaper, and NTV Uganda, one of the country’s largest private broadcasters, “will not reopen without my permission.” The closure also affected KFM and Dembe FM, both owned by Nation Media Group.“In Uganda, I do not believe in a free press! The press must be directed by the cadres of the revolution,” Kainrugaba wrote in a series of posts on X. He did not give specific reasons for the closure.Daily Monitor reported on Sunday that military personnel had been deployed at the premises of Nation Media Group in the capital Kampala and that employees were being prevented from leaving or entering. NTV Uganda and other NMG TV and radio broadcasters in the country were off air since Sunday morning.Kainirugaba, touted as a potential successor to his aging father, President Yoweri Museveni, is known for his controversial social media posts, including a threat to behead opposition leader Bobi Wine. In 2013, the government closed the Daily Monitor for 10 days over reports regarding Museveni’s succession.Government spokesman Alan Kasujja and NMG Uganda managing director Susan Nsibirwa did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Museveni, who has ruled Uganda since 1986, has never commented publicly on who would follow him, although his son’s influence in security matters has grown significantly.Wine, the opposition leader who has been in hiding since a disputed election in January, had earlier accused Kanewaruga of a crackdown on his supporters. Kainrugaba has rejected such claims, describing some of his social media posts as ironic.