The Story Behind Uganda National Media Group

WAKISO, Uganda — In 2018, Horizon Media Uganda quietly disappeared from Uganda’s media landscape.

The production and online news company, once headquartered in Old Kampala, had succumbed to financial challenges after years of operation, leaving behind an uncertain future for the business it had built since its establishment in 2008.

Years later, the company was officially struck off the national companies register after remaining inactive and failing to file annual statutory returns.

For many businesses, such an outcome would have marked the end. For Horizon Media Uganda’s founder, Ssekaayi Simon, it became the beginning of a different journey.

On Thursday, the company officially re-emerged under a new corporate identity Uganda National Media Group (UNMG) during a launch held in Naggalabi, Wakiso District.

The relaunch follows years of planning and restructuring after the collapse of Horizon Media Uganda, a company that had earned recognition for video production and online news services while employing about 15 people at its peak.

Rather than revive the former company, the founders opted to establish a new organisation with a different governance structure and business strategy.

UNMG will initially focus on digital publishing through National Horizon, an independent electronic newspaper expected to be distributed on commercial e-paper platforms before expanding into print.

Chief Executive Officer Ssentamu Derrick said the company intends to rebuild public confidence by prioritising factual journalism and operating within Uganda’s media regulatory framework.

“We are bringing a new service to our clients and readers and we also promise to comply with regulators’ guidelines,” Derrick said during the launch.

The company’s headquarters are located in Kibibi Town Council, Gombe, while operational activities will also be coordinated from Naggalabi in Wakiso District.Its leadership includes Board Director Wasemi Sylvia and Non-Executive Director Isaac Ssegawa.

The relaunch attracted several invited guests, including Busiro East Member of Parliament Emmanuel Magoola and MK International Schools Director Bamulopa Sulaiman.

Company officials said the decision to establish UNMG followed extensive consultations on how to build a more sustainable media organisation in an industry that has changed significantly over the past decade.

Since Horizon Media Uganda ceased operations, Uganda’s media sector has witnessed a steady shift toward digital publishing as audiences increasingly access news through smartphones and online platforms.

Rising production costs and changing advertising patterns have also prompted publishers to rethink traditional business models.

Against that backdrop, UNMG is positioning itself as a digital-first media organisation while laying the groundwork for future expansion into print and other media services.Whether the new venture succeeds will depend on its ability to earn readers’ trust, build a sustainable business model and compete in a rapidly evolving industry.

For now, the relaunch represents an effort to turn the lessons of one company’s collapse into the foundation of a new chapter in Uganda’s media landscape.