6/7/2026
Nation Media Group (NMG) is considering removing or reassigning its Uganda Managing Director, Susan Nsibirwa, as part of efforts to resolve a standoff with the Ugandan government that has shut down the operations of the Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
Three sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations said shareholders and senior executives were considering either transferring Nsibirwa to a less influential role within the group or ending her tenure altogether. No final decision has been taken, the sources said.
Susan Nsibirwa
The discussions follow a meeting on Tuesday between Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and NMG shareholders, including Tanzanian businessman Rostam Aziz and his son Saam Aziz, at the Special Forces Command headquarters in Entebbe.
According to the sources, concerns over Nsibirwa’s leadership featured prominently during the talks.
Government officials and security agencies accused the veteran media executive of using her social media platforms to attack senior government officials and of behaving more like an activist than the chief executive of one of East Africa’s largest media organisations, the sources said.
The sources added that officials also accused Nsibirwa of fostering what they described as activist behaviour among editors and senior newsroom staff, contributing to a deterioration in editorial standards, particularly at the Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda.
According to the sources, government representatives argued during the meeting that the outlets had increasingly drifted from traditional journalism towards advocacy and commentary that they considered politically partisan and hostile to the government.
Nsibirwa could not immediately be reached for comment.
However, sources at Nation Media said the management of the editorial, the newsroom operations are independent of the MD.
Susan doesn’t determine the news stories published. The MD has control of the all sections, except the newsroom. In fact, the MD also sees the paper or its e-paper when it is out the press unit,” said a source.
The sources said NMG is also preparing a revised management structure and editorial policy aimed at addressing concerns raised by the government and facilitating the reopening of its operations.
Among the proposals under discussion are changes intended to place greater emphasis on what officials describe as balanced and national-interest reporting.
The company is also expected to review the prominence of editorials and opinion pieces seen by officials as closely aligned with civil society activism and opposition causes, the sources said.
