| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Berliner |
| Owner | Vision Group (Ugandan Government majority shareholder) |
| Publisher | New Vision Printing & Publishing Company Limited |
| Editor | Barbara Kaija (Editor-in-Chief)[1] |
| Founded | 1986 (institutional predecessor founded 1955) |
| Headquarters | First Street, Industrial Area, Kampala, Uganda |
| Website | www |
The New Vision is a Ugandan English-language daily newspaper. It was established in its current form in 1986 by the Government of Uganda. It is the flagship newspaper of the state-owned Vision Group, a multimedia conglomerate. Along with its privately owned competitor, the Daily Monitor, the New Vision is one of the two largest national newspapers in Uganda.[2]
History
The New Vision traces its origins to the colonial era. Its institutional predecessor, the Uganda Argus, was founded in 1955 as a British colonial government publication.[3]
Following Uganda's independence in 1962, the government of President Milton Obote retained the Uganda Argus as its official paper. After the 1971 coup, the government of Idi Amin renamed the paper the Voice of Uganda. When Amin was overthrown in 1979, the succeeding government named it the Uganda Times.
When the National Resistance Movement (NRM) came to power in 1986, the publication was rebranded as the New Vision. Throughout its history under various names, the newspaper has consistently served as the official media organ of the government in power.[4]
Ownership and corporate structure
The New Vision is published by the New Vision Printing & Publishing Company Limited (NVPPCL), which trades on the Uganda Securities Exchange under the symbol NVL and operates as the Vision Group.[5] The Government of Uganda is the majority shareholder, holding 53.3% of the company's shares, with the remaining 46.7% held by institutional and individual investors.[6]
Vision Group is a large multimedia conglomerate with a portfolio that includes:
- Newspapers: Besides the flagship New Vision, it publishes Uganda's leading vernacular daily, Bukedde (in Luganda), and regional papers such as Rupiny (Luo), Etop (Ateso), and Orumuri (Runyankore/Rukiga).
- Television: It operates several TV stations, including Bukedde TV, TV West, Urban TV, and TV East.
- Radio: The group owns a network of radio stations across the country, such as Radio West and Bukedde FM.
- Digital Platforms: A significant online presence through its main news website, mobile applications, and social media channels.
- Commercial Printing: A major commercial printing division that serves government and private clients.
Leadership and editorial
The leadership of Vision Group has seen significant changes over the years. William Pike, an editor who had joined the paper in its early days, served as CEO and is often credited with maintaining a degree of editorial independence during his tenure. He resigned in October 2006 amid reports of government pressure.[7]
Pike was succeeded by Robert Kabushenga, who served as CEO for over 14 years, from 2007 until his resignation in January 2021.[8] In April 2021, Don Wanyama, who was then the Senior Presidential Press Secretary to President Museveni, was appointed as the new Managing Director and CEO of Vision Group.
Barbara Kaija has served as the Editor-in-Chief of the New Vision since 2010.[1]
Editorial stance and perception
As a state-owned enterprise with a CEO appointed directly from the presidential press unit, the New Vision is widely perceived as having a pro-government editorial stance.[9] Media scholars and watchdog groups often contrast its coverage of political affairs with that of the privately owned Daily Monitor, which typically offers more critical perspectives on the government.[10]
While it provides extensive coverage of government programs and officials, the newspaper also engages in investigative journalism and covers a wide range of social, economic, and cultural topics, maintaining a large readership across the country.
Digital presence
In response to changing media consumption habits, Vision Group has invested heavily in its digital platforms. The New Vision website (newvision.co.ug) is one of Uganda's most visited news sources. The group also operates mobile apps, paywalled e-paper services, and maintains a strong presence on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, where it distributes news and video content to a large online audience.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Barbara Kaija". WAN-IFRA. Retrieved 7 June 2025.[dead link]
- ^ "Uganda: Profile of a Nation's Media Landscape". Pan-African Visions. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2025.[dead link]
- ^ Barrington-Ward, Mark (2010). Forty Years of Oxford Planning: What has it achieved, and what next?. Oxford: Oxford Civic Society. Author's biography on rear cover.
- ^ Kirumira, Mark; Ajwang, Jan (3 May 2007). "Uganda: The Limping Newspaper Industry". Daily Monitor via AllAfrica.com. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ USE (24 September 2017). "New Vision Printing And Publishing Company Limited". Kampala: Uganda Securities Exchange (USE). Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ "Vision Group Integrated Annual Report 2023" (PDF). Vision Group. p. 139. Retrieved 7 June 2025.[dead link]
- ^ "Shake Up At Top Ugandan Newspaper". BBC News. 12 October 2006. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
- ^ "Robert Kabushenga resigns as Vision Group CEO". Daily Monitor. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ Ronen, Yehudit (2008). Qaddafi's Libya in World Politics. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 174. ISBN 978-1-58826-585-2.
The government-owned New Vision newspaper, the country's most important daily...
- ^ Mbeke, Grace (2018). "Media and the politics of belonging in Uganda". Journal of Eastern African Studies. 12 (2): 313–331. doi:10.1080/17531055.2018.1456106 (inactive 23 July 2025).
Uganda's leading daily newspapers, the state-owned New Vision and the privately owned Daily Monitor, report on politics from opposing perspectives.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
External links
