New Vision

New Vision is a Ugandan English-language daily newspaper published by New Vision Printing & Publishing Company Limited, the media company commonly known as Vision Group. It is one of Uganda’s principal national newspapers and has traditionally held the largest circulation among the country’s English-language daily newspapers. The publication covers national politics, government, business, courts, public affairs, sport, culture, education, health and international news, while also operating in an increasingly digital and multimedia environment. The newspaper was established in its current form in 1986 by the Government of Uganda. Its institutional background is connected to a succession of government newspapers that existed before and after independence, including Uganda Argus, the Voice of Uganda and Uganda Times. Uganda Argus began in 1955 as a publication of the British colonial administration. After independence in 1962, it continued as an official government newspaper under President Milton Obote. Following Idi Amin’s 1971 coup, it was renamed the Voice of Uganda. After Amin’s overthrow in 1979, the succeeding government renamed it Uganda Times. Uganda Times later experienced a severe financial collapse and was unable to meet its debts in 1985. The precise corporate and editorial relationship between Uganda Times and New Vision is disputed. Several accounts describe New Vision as emerging from the earlier government newspaper, but former Vision Group chief executive Robert Kabushenga said that New Vision acquired the premises of the former Uganda Argus and Uganda Times rather than being their direct legal descendant. William Pike, the first editor of New Vision, recalled that the new publication inherited little more than two tables and a typewriter. The newspaper has nevertheless acknowledged this broader institutional history, including by publishing facsimile editions of Uganda Argus for anniversaries of Uganda’s independence. New Vision’s ownership has remained closely associated with the Ugandan state. The newspaper is published by the listed New Vision Printing & Publishing Company Limited, in which the Government of Uganda holds a majority stake. The company has developed beyond a single newspaper into Vision Group, a multimedia publishing and broadcasting organization with several print and digital properties. New Vision remains the group’s flagship English-language title, while Bukedde serves as its major Luganda-language daily. The newspaper’s editorial history has been shaped by the tension between public ownership, political influence and journalistic autonomy. William Pike served as managing director and editor-in-chief from 1986 until 2006 and was credited with preserving a degree of editorial independence despite government ownership. He resigned in October 2006 amid reports of government pressure. Els De Temmerman served as chief editor from 2006 to 2010 and later attributed her departure to editorial interference. Robert Kabushenga, who had been associated with the Ugandan government before joining the media organization, became chief executive in 2007 and resigned in January 2021 amid suggestions of government pressure. Don Wanyama became managing director and chief executive of Vision Group in May 2021. Barbara Kaija served as editor-in-chief from 2010, with Sidney Miria Babanga identified as her intended successor from June 2026. New Vision has also operated in a difficult environment for Ugandan journalism. Its reporters have faced threats, detention, equipment confiscation and other forms of pressure, particularly when covering security institutions, illegal logging and deforestation. The 2018 abduction of investigative journalist Charles Etukuri outside the newspaper’s offices attracted international attention. Economic pressure has compounded the editorial challenges: print circulation, advertising and newspaper sales have faced competition from digital media, while rising paper and operating costs have affected the wider company. Despite these pressures, New Vision remains an important national news institution and a central part of Uganda’s state-linked media landscape.

New Vision’s history is rooted in Uganda’s long tradition of government-associated newspapers. Uganda Argus was founded in 1955 during the colonial period as a publication of the British administration. Following Uganda’s independence in 1962, the paper was retained by the national government and functioned as an official newspaper during Milton Obote’s presidency. Idi Amin’s 1971 coup brought a change of name to the Voice of Uganda. After Amin was overthrown in 1979, the succeeding government renamed the publication Uganda Times. Uganda Times later entered a period of financial distress. By 1985 it had collapsed economically and could not pay its debts. New Vision was established in its current form in 1986 by the Government of Uganda. Although some accounts treat the new newspaper as the successor to the earlier titles, the exact legal and institutional continuity is contested. Robert Kabushenga, a former chief executive of the company, said New Vision purchased the premises used by Uganda Argus and Uganda Times but was not their direct descendant. William Pike, who became New Vision’s first editor, characterized the new operation as having inherited only very basic equipment from the earlier newspaper. Despite the uncertainty over direct succession, the publications share a notable political and institutional continuity. Uganda Argus, the Voice of Uganda and Uganda Times were government organs through several changes of regime, and New Vision was also created under government ownership. The newspaper later became the flagship title of New Vision Printing & Publishing Company Limited, which expanded into the broader Vision Group multimedia organization. The group publishes newspapers in multiple Ugandan languages and operates across print and other media, with New Vision retaining a central position in English-language national journalism. William Pike led New Vision as managing director and editor-in-chief from 1986 to 2006. His tenure was associated with an effort to maintain meaningful editorial journalism under majority state ownership. Pike resigned in October 2006 amid reports of government pressure. Els De Temmerman succeeded him as chief editor and remained in that role until 2010. She was appointed during Kabushenga’s leadership and later said that editorial interference contributed to her departure. Barbara Kaija became editor-in-chief in 2010 and remained in that position for many years. Sidney Miria Babanga was identified as her successor from June 2026. At the corporate level, Robert Kabushenga became Vision Group chief executive in 2007. He resigned in January 2021, with suggestions in contemporaneous accounts that government pressure played a role. Don Wanyama was appointed managing director and chief executive in May 2021. The company trades on the Uganda Securities Exchange under the symbol NVL, while the Government of Uganda remains its majority shareholder with a reported 53.3 percent stake. New Vision has continued to operate in a challenging media environment. In the final quarter of 2019, the group’s Luganda-language Bukedde reportedly circulated more print copies than New Vision, while New Vision remained ahead of the competing Daily Monitor in the English-language comparison cited in reference material. The newspaper has faced declining or pressured print economics, competition from online news, fluctuating advertising expenditure and rising production costs. Reference material reports a loss of USh 856.9 million in the last six months of 2025 and identifies it as the company’s third consecutive year of losses. Journalistic safety and editorial independence have been recurring concerns. On 14 February 2018, investigative reporter Charles Etukuri was abducted outside New Vision’s offices after reporting on alleged links between Ugandan security bodies and the death of a foreign businessman. Police and military authorities said they had no information about the incident, while the Internal Security Organisation did not comment; Etukuri was released five days later. Other New Vision journalists reporting on illegal logging and deforestation have faced threats, detention and confiscation of equipment. John Unzima reportedly received threats from politicians between 2020 and 2022, was detained by the Ugandan army and left his home city for several months. Agnes Nantambi reportedly had equipment confiscated after covering forest destruction. These cases illustrate the risks faced by reporters working for a state-linked but nationally influential newspaper. New Vision has also used its historical identity in commemorative publishing. It has produced facsimile editions of Uganda Argus in connection with anniversaries of Uganda’s independence, presenting the older title as part of the country’s newspaper history even while the company disputes a simple direct-descent narrative. Today, New Vision remains an active national daily, combining its established print role with digital publishing and the broader resources of Vision Group.

• 2026

  Planned editor-in-chief succession

  [1]New Visionen.wikipedia.org

  Sidney Miria Babanga was identified as the intended successor to Barbara Kaija from June 2026.

• 2021

  Vision Group leadership changes

  [1]New Visionen.wikipedia.org

  Robert Kabushenga resigned in January, and Don Wanyama became managing director and chief executive in May.

• 2018

  Charles Etukuri abducted

  [1]New Visionen.wikipedia.org

  Investigative reporter Charles Etukuri was abducted outside New Vision’s offices and released five days later.

• 2010

  Barbara Kaija becomes editor-in-chief

  [1]New Visionen.wikipedia.org

  Barbara Kaija began her long tenure as editor-in-chief.

• 2007

  Robert Kabushenga becomes chief executive

  [1]New Visionen.wikipedia.org

  Robert Kabushenga was appointed chief executive of Vision Group.

• 2006

  William Pike leaves New Vision

  [1]New Visionen.wikipedia.org

  Pike resigned as managing director and editor-in-chief after two decades of leadership, amid reports of government pressure.

• 1986

  New Vision established

  [1]New Visionen.wikipedia.org

  The Government of Uganda established New Vision in its current form, with William Pike as its first editor.

• 1985

  Uganda Times enters financial collapse

  [1]New Visionen.wikipedia.org

  Uganda Times was unable to pay its debts and suffered an economic collapse.

• 1979

  Voice of Uganda renamed Uganda Times

  [1]New Visionen.wikipedia.org

  After Amin’s overthrow, the succeeding government renamed the publication Uganda Times.

• 1971

  Uganda Argus renamed Voice of Uganda

  [1]New Visionen.wikipedia.org

  Following Idi Amin’s coup, the government changed the newspaper’s name to the Voice of Uganda.

• 1962

  Uganda gains independence

  [1]New Visionen.wikipedia.org

  After independence, the Ugandan government retained Uganda Argus as its official newspaper under Milton Obote.

• 1955

  Uganda Argus founded

  [1]New Visionen.wikipedia.org

  Uganda Argus was established as a British colonial government publication, creating part of the institutional newspaper lineage later associated with New Vision.

A national English-language newspaper combining broad public-affairs coverage with a state-linked ownership structure and the reach of Uganda’s largest domestic multimedia publishing group.

• Print newspaper · 1986

  New Vision daily newspaper

  The flagship English-language daily newspaper of Vision Group. It provides national and international news, political reporting, business coverage, courts, public-interest features, sport, education, health and cultural content for a Ugandan mass audience.

• Digital news

  New Vision digital news platform

  The newspaper’s online publishing presence extends the New Vision brand beyond the print edition. It supports continuous news publication and allows the organization to distribute reporting across digital channels as print circulation and advertising face structural pressure.

• Commemorative publication

  Historical facsimile editions

  New Vision has published facsimile editions of Uganda Argus to mark anniversaries of Uganda’s independence. These editions connect the contemporary brand with Uganda’s earlier government-newspaper history without necessarily asserting a direct legal succession.

• 2020

  Threats against environmental reporters

  New Vision journalists covering illegal logging and deforestation reportedly faced threats, detention and equipment confiscation. John Unzima was threatened by politicians and detained by the Ugandan army, while Agnes Nantambi reportedly had equipment taken after reporting on forest destruction.

  Source

• 2018

  Abduction of journalist Charles Etukuri

  New Vision investigative journalist Charles Etukuri was abducted outside the newspaper’s offices after publishing reports that linked the Internal Security Organisation and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence to the death of a foreign businessman. Authorities publicly said they lacked information, while the Internal Security Organisation declined to comment. Etukuri was released outside the company offices five days later.

  Source

• 2006

  Editorial-pressure allegations surrounding leadership departures

  William Pike’s 2006 resignation was reported in the context of government pressure. Els De Temmerman later attributed her departure as chief editor in part to editorial interference, highlighting longstanding concerns about independence under state-linked ownership.

  Source

Read more

• Uganda Argus anniversary facsimile editions

  Uganda

  New Vision has issued facsimile editions of Uganda Argus as part of independence-anniversary commemorations, using historical publishing to connect the newspaper with Uganda’s pre- and post-independence press history.

  Outcome. The editions reinforced New Vision’s historical positioning and its association with the country’s earlier government newspaper tradition.

  Source

• 2025

  Manage continuing print-media financial pressureStrategy

  Background

  Newspaper sales and advertising remained under pressure while raw-material and other operating costs increased.

  Action taken

  The company continued operating across print and digital platforms while attempting to recover media sales and advertising revenue.

  Aftermath

  Reference material reports a USh 856.9 million loss during the last six months of 2025 and identifies the period as the third consecutive year of losses.

  Loss. USh 856.9 million loss (Last six months of 2025)

  Source

• 2021

  Appoint Don Wanyama as managing director and CEOOther

  Background

  Robert Kabushenga resigned as Vision Group chief executive in January 2021.

  Action taken

  Don Wanyama was appointed managing director and chief executive in May 2021.

  Aftermath

  Wanyama became responsible for leading the wider group that publishes New Vision and other media properties.

  Source

• 2007

  Appoint Robert Kabushenga as Vision Group chief executiveOther

  Background

  Following William Pike’s departure in 2006, Vision Group changed its senior corporate leadership.

  Action taken

  Robert Kabushenga was appointed chief executive in 2007.

  Aftermath

  His tenure continued until his resignation in January 2021, amid reports and suggestions of government pressure.

  Source

• 1986

  Create a new national English-language newspaperStrategy

  Background

  Uganda Times had collapsed financially in 1985 after a succession of government newspaper titles. The Government of Uganda established New Vision in 1986 in a reorganized newspaper operation.

  Action taken

  The new publication was launched under the New Vision name, with William Pike as its first editor.

  Aftermath

  New Vision became the flagship newspaper of the state-linked Vision Group and a leading English-language daily in Uganda.

  Source

1. 1New Visionen.wikipedia.org
2. 2New Vision official websitenewvision.co.ug