Kampala, Uganda | URN | Nearly a month after the closure of Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda, many viewers, listeners and readers say they have lost access to trusted news sources. Audiences of NTV Uganda, Spark TV, KFM, Dembe FM and Daily Monitor told Uganda Radio Network they have either stopped following news or turned to alternative platforms they consider less reliable. For years, 7 pm marked a familiar routine in trading centres across Uganda.
At roadside kiosks, video halls and shops with television sets, boda boda riders parked their motorcycles, traders paused business and residents gathered to watch Akawungeezi, NTV Uganda’s Luganda news bulletin. At Naluma in Nabweru, residents and passers-by once gathered every evening at Moses Musoga’s small movie library, drawn by its television screen and the 7 pm news bulletin. Today, the once busy viewing spot is largely quiet.
“I originally switched on the television to advertise movies and attract customers. But every evening, I would switch to the news because I wanted to watch it myself. Gradually, people started gathering.
I could not chase them away, and soon it became our routine. Some would watch the news and later rent movies to take home. The news ended up bringing me customers,” Musoga said.
In Mbarara, Brian Oundikunda, owner of Brain Electronics, says his shop also served as an informal news viewing point. He says people who used to gather outside his shop to watch NMG broadcasts have reduced since the closure. With NTV Uganda off air, Musoga and Oundikunda no longer tune in to other television news bulletins.
The evening crowds that once gathered outside their businesses have disappeared, affecting the small sales generated from the viewers. “I don’t think I can watch any other television station for news. When will they reopen?” Musoga asks.
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