The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) condemned in a statement a "naked act of aggression and attack on media freedom", and called for the "immediate reopening of these media houses".
It added that journalists and media workers should be allowed "to continue their work without any form of harassment and intimidation."
FAJ President Omar Faruk Osman said that "the deployment of soldiers to storm and shut down Uganda's leading independent media houses is one of the clearest manifestations of authoritarian rule and the deepening culture of impunity that now silences the few remaining foundations of democratic governance in the country."
A veteran journalist from the channel told AFP on condition of anonymity on Sunday: "We were shut down by the army—both the studios and the NTV offices. He added: "No one is allowed in or out. Those who were working last night were ordered to leave by the army."
Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda, which owns NTV Uganda and Spark TV, said it remained under military siege throughout Sunday, "with several armed personnel deployed at its headquarters in Namuwongo and broadcast centres at the Kampala Serena International Conference Centre."
Both channels are still off air on Monday, disrupting the country's largest independent media house's work.
Late on Sunday, veteran journalist and Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) leader Andrew Mwenda said an agreement had been reached with the army chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to reopen NTV Uganda and the nation's largest independent English-language daily newspaper.
But on Monday, NMG said they hadn't received any official communication.
Kainerugaba "has over the past months become very influential on almost everything in the country," a freelance journalist told me. "He makes orders on social media, which lead to arrests of people. To him, it displays pure abuse of power."
Attacks on journalism
NMG is the largest independent media house in East and Central Africa with operations in print, broadcast and digital media which attract, serving the largest audiences across East Africa.
In Uganda, NMG also owns the Daily Monitor, The East African, 93.3 KFM, 90.4 Dembe FM, Ennyanda newspaper and the Nation Courier, among other media platforms and investments.
The Daily Monitor reported on Sunday that military personnel had been deployed at NMG's premises in the capital, Kampala, and that staff were being prevented from leaving or entering the premises.
NTV Uganda and other NMG TV and radio broadcasters in the country were all down as of Sunday early morning, from 5am.
Uganda's military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also President Yoweri Museveni's son, announced on Sunday that he had ordered the closure of two leading media outlets, declaring that he did "not believe in a free press".
Kainerugaba wrote on his X social media account that the Daily Monitor - Uganda's largest independent daily newspaper - and NTV Uganda, one of the country's largest private broadcasters, would "not reopen without my permission".
"In Uganda, I do not believe in a free press! The press should be guided by cadres of the revolution," Kainerugaba stated in a series of threatening posts on the platform.
He added: "The closure of NTV and Monitor is just the beginning. We are going to arrest many more."
The government of Museveni already shut down the Daily Monitor for 10 days in 2013 over reports regarding his succession.
Kainerugaba has been mentioned as a likely successor to his ageing father, especially after January's elections.
Museveni has ruled the country since 1986. His son is known for his controversial social media posts, which included threats to "behead" the opposition leader Bobi Wine.
Condamnations
'It is a true sign of state capture', a reader of the Monitor wrote on social media.
Lwanga Majja Achillis, a lawyer and campaigner, wrote: "Civic responsibility means respecting institutions, the rule of law and press freedom. Shutting down media houses bse of criticism only proves that our greatest obstacle to progress is often ourselves, not our past."
Regional and international media bodies condemned the developments and called for restraint.
The East African Press Councils (EAPC) urged governments across the region to de-escalate hostilities with the media, saying the shutdown of NMG operations in Uganda reflected "growing pressure on independent journalism."
"This violates constitutional, regional and global human rights State obligations, including denial of right to access information and endangering the lives of journalists," read the EAPC statement signed by its Chairperson David Omwoyo, who is also the Media Council of Kenya CEO.
The East Africa Journalists Federation (EAJF) also condemned the crackdown saying: "We wish to remind Gen Muhoozi that terrorising the media is no solution to challenges the country is facing and fast-fading public trust in President Museveni's regime.”
International bodies Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also strongly condemned the shutdown.
CPJ wrote on X the group called "on the Ugandan authorities to immediately restore broadcasts, end the security operation at Nation Media Group, publicly reaffirm respect for press freedom, and ensure that journalists can carry out their work without interference or fear of reprisal."
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