It was established in its current form in 1986 by the Ugandan government. It was founded in 1955 as the Uganda Argus, a British colonial government publication. Between 1962 and 1971, the first Obote government kept the name of its daily publication as Uganda Argus.

Following the rise to power of Idi Amin in 1971, the government paper was renamed Voice of Uganda. When Amin was deposed in 1979, the second Obote government named its paper Uganda Times.
When the National Resistance Movement seized power in 1986, the name of the daily newspaper was changed to New Vision. The Uganda Argus and its successors always presented as the "official" newspaper of the government in power.