Uganda woke up on Thursday to the shocking news that veteran musician and Afrigo Band chief Moses Matovu had been killed in Kampala, bringing to a tragic end the life of one of the country’s most enduring music icons.
Matovu, 77, died at Kibuli Hospital after being attacked in the Kibuli Market Zone B area of Makindye Division in the early hours of September 24, 2026.
Police have opened a case of suspected murder and launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala said Matovu was attacked by unknown assailants before he was rushed to Kibuli Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
“Our task team is currently at the scene conducting investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident,” Kawala said, adding that efforts were underway to identify and apprehend the suspects.
But as police began reconstructing the final moments of the celebrated musician’s life, conflicting accounts emerged about what happened before the fatal assault.
The girlfriend angle
Preliminary police information initially indicated that Matovu was attacked as he made his way for morning prayers.
However, accounts attributed to eyewitnesses and people familiar with the incident suggested that the musician had been at a woman’s home shortly before he was attacked.
One eyewitness account circulating on social media claimed that Matovu had dropped off a woman who has since been identified as Rose Tumusime and was subsequently confronted by another man believed to have been romantically involved with her.
Another account, attributed to a boda boda rider who reportedly helped take Matovu to hospital, also linked the assault to a dispute over a woman.
According to that version of events, an altercation developed after Matovu had been with the woman, with the other man allegedly first assaulting her before turning his attention to the musician.
The claims have triggered intense public debate because they present a very different picture from the initial description of the incident as an attack by unknown assailants.
Police have not, however, publicly established that Matovu was killed because of a romantic dispute. Reports indicate that investigators were interviewing the woman who was allegedly with him as they attempted to reconstruct the events leading to the attack.
The motive, identity of the attacker and exact sequence of events therefore remained under investigation at the time of publication.
The final journey
What is established is that Matovu was attacked in the Kibuli area in the early hours of Thursday.
He suffered serious injuries and was taken to Kibuli Hospital for treatment. Despite efforts to save him, he died.
Reports from the scene said residents gathered in the area as news of the attack spread, while police cordoned off the scene and began collecting information.
Other reports indicated that Matovu had been attacked as he headed towards morning prayers at Kibuli Mosque.
The circumstances surrounding the attack have left many Ugandans struggling to reconcile the violent death with the public image of a musician whose career had been defined by music, discipline and longevity.
A night on stage, a morning of tragedy
In another twist that has deepened the shock, Matovu had performed at an event in Kampala on Wednesday night, only hours before his death.
Tony Otoa, who said he had spoken to Matovu at the Sheraton that evening, recalled the encounter with disbelief. Otoa said Matovu had performed at a farewell party for the outgoing Executive Director of the Private Sector Foundation Uganda.
He said he spoke to the veteran musician about his late mother’s Afrigo music collection and the tapes he and his brother had traded.
For Otoa and many others who saw Matovu performing only hours earlier, news of his death was almost impossible to comprehend.
The contrast between the musician performing before an audience on Wednesday night and being pronounced dead after an attack on Thursday morning has amplified the sense of loss across Uganda.
Ugandans react
News of Matovu’s death immediately triggered an outpouring of grief from musicians, journalists, politicians, fans and ordinary Ugandans.
Social media was filled with tributes to the veteran performer, with many remembering not only his music but also the role he played in building Uganda’s live-band culture.
Jim Spire Ssentongo, commenting on Matovu’s death, recalled efforts that had been made over the years to have the musician awarded an honorary PhD in music in recognition of his contribution to Uganda’s music industry.
He described the circumstances of Matovu’s death as tragic while paying tribute to his contribution to Ugandan music.
Other mourners focused on the alleged circumstances of the killing.
Posts circulating online expressed shock at reports that a dispute involving a woman could have preceded the attack, although those details remained subject to police investigation.
Some mourners questioned how a disagreement could escalate into violence that claimed the life of a 77-year-old music veteran.
The man behind Afrigo
Matovu’s death marks the passing of one of the central figures in Uganda’s musical history.
Born on June 19, 1949, in Kawempe, Kampala, Matovu began his professional music journey in the 1960s.
He joined the Thunderbirds Band in 1967, later moved to the Police Band and subsequently became part of Cranes Band.
When Cranes Band collapsed, Matovu and fellow musicians went on to establish Afrigo Band in 1975.
The group would eventually become Uganda’s longest-running and one of its most influential live bands.
Matovu served as its leader, vocalist and saxophonist while helping to nurture generations of musicians.
Afrigo survived political upheavals, changing musical tastes and major transformations in Uganda’s entertainment industry.
Its music became part of Uganda’s cultural memory, while Matovu became recognised as one of the country’s leading bandleaders.
New Vision previously described Matovu as central to Afrigo’s contribution to Uganda’s music industry, noting his role in maintaining discipline, guiding the band and nurturing its members.
A legacy cut short by violence
For nearly six decades, Matovu’s life was intertwined with music. His death therefore represents more than the loss of an individual performer. It closes a chapter in the history of Uganda’s live-band era.
But the immediate concern for police is not only preserving his legacy but determining exactly how he died.
Was Matovu simply the victim of a random attack as initially suspected, or did a confrontation involving a woman precede the fatal assault?
Did he leave a woman’s home shortly before the incident, as some eyewitness accounts claim?
Who confronted him, and why?
These are among the questions investigators must now answer.
Until those questions are resolved, the claims surrounding the alleged girlfriend and her lover remain allegations rather than established facts.
For now, Uganda mourns a musician who spent five decades entertaining generations.
Matovu’s final performance came only hours before his death. By Thursday morning, the saxophone had fallen silent.
The man who helped build Afrigo Band into a national institution was gone — not after a long farewell from the stage, but in a violent incident that has left his fans demanding answers.
Police say investigations are continuing and that efforts are underway to identify and arrest those responsible.
Author Profile
- Charles Gazza Kodili is a seasoned journalist with over 20 years of experience in the media industry. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication. He’s currently the Chief Editor at the Investigator.
Charles can also be reached via; Tel: +256 774 108978
Email: [email protected]
Latest entries
crime NewSeptember 24, 2026MATOVU’S LOVE-NEST DEATH! Afrigo Boss Allegedly Killed by Rival at Girlfriend’s One-Room House, He Had Just Dropped Beauty Queen Rose Tumusiime Before the Deadly Encounter
FeaturedSeptember 23, 2026FROM BAILOUTS TO COSASE SPOTLIGHT: How Basajjabalaba’s Troubled Buz Empire Moved From Bank Debts And Presidential Intervention to Controversial Gov`t Compensations And Now, A Fresh Parliamentary Probe
FeaturedSeptember 23, 2026TWO ‘FOUNDING DIRECTORS’ DISOWN SIGNATURES: The Fresh Claims Deepen The Battle Over Hajji Bagalaaliwo’s Estate, With Son Bashir Balozi Questioning Documents Allegedly Signed By His Father While He Was Already In A Coma
FeaturedSeptember 23, 2026BEN KAVUYA LOSES SUPREME COURT APPEAL AGAINST OKIROR: City Money Lending Tycoon Ordered To Pay Alice Okiror A Compensation of UGX222 Million Plus Interest and Costs
