Daily Monitor
An independent Ugandan daily newspaper known for English-language reporting and a frequently critical relationship with the government.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Daily Monitor is an independent English-language newspaper published in Uganda by Monitor Publications Limited. It began in 1992 under the name The Monitor as a weekly publication and developed a reputation for investigative and political reporting that often challenged official government positions. The title became a daily newspaper in 1996 and was renamed Daily Monitor after its acquisition by Nation Media Group in 2000. The publication is based in Kampala and serves Uganda’s national news market, while also maintaining a regional outlook through coverage of East African politics, business, society, sport and culture. It publishes print and digital journalism and has operated several regional editions identified as Africa, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. In the Ugandan newspaper market, its principal competitor is New Vision, the state-owned daily. Available circulation figures for the final quarter of 2019 placed Daily Monitor behind New Vision, with Daily Monitor recording 16,169 copies compared with New Vision’s 23,636. Daily Monitor’s identity is closely connected to editorial independence and press freedom. Its reporting has repeatedly brought it into conflict with Ugandan authorities. In 1993, government agencies and ministries were instructed not to advertise in The Monitor because of its perceived anti-government stance; that restriction was lifted in 1997. The most serious confrontation described in the reference material occurred in 2013, when police raided the newspaper’s premises and suspended its operations while seeking a letter attributed to General David Sejusa. The letter, published by Daily Monitor and another newspaper, raised allegations concerning a possible succession plan involving President Yoweri Museveni’s son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, and called for an investigation. Associated radio stations were also taken off the air, and journalists protesting the shutdown were reportedly beaten and tear-gassed. Daily Monitor resumed publication after 11 days, while the radio stations returned to broadcasting. Monitor Publications Limited forms part of a broader East African media portfolio. Related outlets identified in the reference material include Weekend Monitor, formed through the combination of Saturday Monitor and Sunday Monitor; the Luganda-language sports title Ennyanda; the regional newspaper The EastAfrican; radio stations 93.3 KFM and 90.4 Dembe FM; and NTV, an English-language television network. This wider portfolio gives the Daily Monitor brand access to print, broadcast and digital distribution channels. As of mid-2024, Susan Nsibirwa served as managing director and chief executive, having been appointed in December 2023 as the company’s first female head. Alex B. Atuhaire was managing editor, and Samuel Sejjaaka was chairman of the board. The supplied reference material also reports a proposed 2026 change in control of Nation Media Group and the merger of Saturday Monitor and Sunday Monitor into Weekend Monitor, but those developments should be treated as source-reported future or recent events requiring verification against current corporate records.
History
Daily Monitor originated in 1992 as The Monitor, a weekly Ugandan newspaper. From its beginning, the publication positioned itself outside the state-controlled media tradition and developed a reputation for reporting that questioned government policy and official narratives. Its launch gave Uganda another significant independent voice during a period in which political information and media activity remained closely connected to the government. The Monitor expanded its publishing frequency and became a daily newspaper in 1996. The change allowed it to compete more directly with New Vision, Uganda’s state-owned daily, and to build a broader news operation around daily political, economic and social coverage. The title also faced an early commercial response from government. In 1993, government ministries and agencies were prohibited from placing advertisements in the paper because authorities viewed it as hostile or excessively critical. The restriction was removed in 1997, but the episode established a recurring pattern in the relationship between the publication and Ugandan state institutions. In 2000, Nation Media Group acquired The Monitor. Nation Media Group is associated with the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development and operates media assets across East Africa. Following the acquisition, the newspaper was renamed Daily Monitor. Monitor Publications Limited became the publishing company behind the title, and the newspaper was integrated into a broader group that included print, radio and television properties. This ownership structure connected Daily Monitor to regional media operations while retaining its role as a Ugandan national newspaper. The newspaper’s most prominent confrontation with the government occurred in 2013. Police raided the Daily Monitor premises and shut down the newspaper while attempting to obtain a letter attributed to General David Sejusa. The document had been published by Daily Monitor and the Red Pepper and reportedly raised concerns that opponents of a possible succession of President Yoweri Museveni by his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, could face assassination. It also called for an investigation. Two radio stations connected with Daily Monitor were closed at the same time. Journalists protesting the action were reportedly beaten and exposed to tear gas. Publication resumed after 11 days, and the radio stations returned to the air. The internal-affairs minister said the company had agreed not to publish or broadcast material that could create tension, promote ethnic hatred, cause insecurity or disturb public order. The group subsequently continued to operate a multi-platform East African media portfolio. Related properties listed in the reference material include Weekend Monitor, the successor to Saturday Monitor and Sunday Monitor; Ennyanda, a Luganda-language sports publication; The EastAfrican; 93.3 KFM; 90.4 Dembe FM; and NTV. Daily Monitor has also published regional editions identified as Africa, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, reflecting an editorial and distribution focus that extends beyond a strictly local Kampala readership. Circulation data cited for the fourth quarter of 2019 recorded 16,169 copies for Daily Monitor and 23,636 for New Vision. These figures indicate Daily Monitor’s position as the second-largest English-language newspaper in Uganda at that point, while also illustrating the competitive advantage of the state-owned market leader. By mid-2024, the company’s reported leadership consisted of managing director and chief executive Susan Nsibirwa, managing editor Alex B. Atuhaire and board chairman Samuel Sejjaaka. Nsibirwa’s appointment in December 2023 was described as a landmark because she became the first woman to head the company. The supplied source material also describes developments dated 2026, including a reported proposed change in Nation Media Group control, the consolidation of Saturday Monitor and Sunday Monitor into Weekend Monitor, and a reported military closure order involving Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda. Because these events are future-dated or require confirmation beyond the historical article record, they should not be treated as settled long-term facts without updated sourcing.
- 2026
Reported group restructuring and political confrontation
[1]The supplied reference material reports a proposed Nation Media Group control transaction, the formation of Weekend Monitor from two sister titles, and a military closure order involving Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda. These reports require current-source verification.
- 2023
Susan Nsibirwa becomes managing director
[1]Susan Nsibirwa is appointed managing director and chief executive in December.
- 2019
Circulation comparison published
[1]Fourth-quarter circulation figures cited in the reference material record 16,169 copies for Daily Monitor and 23,636 for New Vision.
- 2013
Eleven-day government shutdown
[1]Police close the newspaper during an attempt to obtain a published letter attributed to General David Sejusa. The paper resumes publication after 11 days.
- 2000
Acquisition by Nation Media Group and renaming
[1]Nation Media Group purchases the publication, which is renamed Daily Monitor.
- 1997
Advertising restriction lifted
[1]The government advertising ban is rescinded.
- 1996
The Monitor becomes a daily
[1]The weekly newspaper increases its publishing frequency and becomes a daily title.
- 1993
Government advertising restriction
[1]Ugandan government agencies and ministries stop advertising in the newspaper because of its perceived anti-government stance.
- 1992
The Monitor launches as a weekly newspaper
[1]The publication begins in Uganda under the name The Monitor, presenting itself as an independent newspaper.
Products and positioning
Independent, English-language Ugandan journalism with a strong national news operation, regional East African perspective and a reputation for scrutinising government.
Daily newspaper · 1996
Daily Monitor
The core English-language newspaper published in Uganda. It covers national politics, government, business, society, sport and culture, and is known for presenting an independent editorial perspective. The title is distributed through print and digital channels and has been associated with regional editions serving audiences beyond Uganda.
Regional newspaper editions
Daily Monitor regional editions
The publication has been described as issuing Africa, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania editions. These editions extend the brand’s editorial framing from domestic Ugandan news toward broader East African coverage and distribution.
Online news
Digital news platform
Daily Monitor’s web presence provides an online channel for the newspaper’s reporting and supports the brand’s wider digital publishing activity. Specific product launch dates and commercial features are not established in the supplied sources.
Controversies
2026
Reported military closure order
The supplied reference material reports that General Muhoozi Kainerugaba ordered Daily Monitor and NTV Uganda closed and that military personnel were deployed at their Kampala premises. This future-dated report requires verification.
2013
Police raid and shutdown over published Sejusa letter
Police raided the newspaper and suspended its operations while seeking a letter attributed to General David Sejusa. The newspaper and associated radio stations were closed, and journalists protesting the action were reportedly beaten and tear-gassed. Publication resumed after 11 days.
1993
Government advertising ban
Ugandan government agencies and ministries were prohibited from advertising in The Monitor because of its perceived anti-government editorial position. The restriction was later withdrawn in 1997.
Brand decisions
2026
Consolidation of sister weekend titlesStrategyBackground
The supplied reference material describes a restructuring of the group’s weekend newspaper offering.
Action taken
Saturday Monitor and Sunday Monitor were reportedly merged into Weekend Monitor.
Aftermath
The reported change created a single weekend publication within the Monitor portfolio; the event requires verification.
2013
Resumption after enforced closureOtherBackground
Police had closed the newspaper while attempting to retrieve a published letter attributed to General David Sejusa.
Action taken
Daily Monitor resumed publication after 11 days, and related radio stations returned to the air.
Aftermath
The episode intensified concerns about press freedom and the newspaper’s relationship with the Ugandan government.
2000
Nation Media Group acquisitionM&ABackground
The Monitor had established itself as an independent Ugandan daily and became part of a larger East African media network.
Action taken
Nation Media Group acquired the publication and renamed it Daily Monitor.
Aftermath
The newspaper became the flagship Ugandan print property of Monitor Publications Limited within the wider Nation Media Group portfolio.
1996
Shift from weekly to daily publicationStrategyBackground
The Monitor sought a stronger position in Uganda’s newspaper market and greater frequency for national news coverage.
Action taken
The publication became a daily newspaper.
Aftermath
The change established the title as a direct competitor to New Vision and laid the foundation for its later Daily Monitor identity.
Sources2 sources
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