MOSES MATOVU MURDER PROBE: ROSE MOVED TO CID: Katikiro Charles Peter Mayiga, Gerald Mayanja Snr, Nyombi Thembo, Sheebah And Other Ugandans Mourn Matovu As The Music Fraternity Prepares For His Burial In Kyanja On Friday

Police have transferred 26-year-old Rose Tumusiime, also known as “The One Rose”, to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) headquarters in Kibuli for further interrogation as detectives intensify investigations into the death of Afrigo Band icon Moses Matovu.

Tumusiime was taken into police custody after the veteran musician was fatally injured in Kibuli early Thursday morning, September 24, 2026.

Her transfer to CID follows a nearly six-hour operation by officers from Kabalagala Police Division and other security personnel as investigators sought to establish what happened in the final moments of Matovu’s life.

The development has added a new twist to a case that has sent shockwaves through Uganda’s music industry, with police now piecing together the movements of Matovu, Tumusiime and a male suspect who is alleged to have confronted the musician.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala said preliminary investigations indicate that Matovu had gone to the residence of a woman identified as Rose at about 5:30am.

According to police, Matovu and the woman were leaving the residence when they allegedly encountered a man believed to have previously been in a relationship with her.

A physical confrontation reportedly followed, leaving Matovu seriously injured. He was rushed to Kibuli Hospital by a boda boda rider but later died from the injuries.

Police have said the exact circumstances surrounding the confrontation remain under investigation and that the male suspect fled the scene.

The investigation has therefore widened from the immediate scene of the attack to the people who were with Matovu before and after the confrontation.

Tumusiime’s transfer to CID is expected to allow detectives to obtain a more detailed account of her relationship with Matovu, their movements before the attack and what happened inside and outside her residence.

The woman’s residence, described by residents as a modest one-roomed house in Kibuli, has become a key location in the investigation. Police earlier returned to the area with Tumusiime as part of the reconstruction of events.

Investigators also recovered exhibits from the scene, including a concrete paver, while bloodstains were reportedly found near Matovu’s vehicle.

Police were pursuing a male suspect believed to be a private security guard who allegedly had a previous relationship with Tumusiime. Police have not said that the suspect has been arrested.

The circumstances have generated intense public discussion, with social media users attempting to establish their own versions of what happened.

However, police have urged the public to allow detectives to complete their investigations.

Residents said Matovu had returned from a music performance at Serena Hotel before the incident. A neighbour, Medie Mutebi, said Matovu was driving his Range Rover Discovery, registration number UAR 982H, and had dropped off other passengers before proceeding towards the residence of the woman identified by residents as Rose Tumusiime.

The reports have fuelled speculation about the events leading to the attack, but the precise sequence of events and the motive for the confrontation remain matters for investigators.

A giant of Ugandan music

While detectives work to establish how the 77-year-old musician died, Uganda has been left mourning a man whose career stretched across more than five decades.

Matovu was one of the central figures in Afrigo Band, a group that became synonymous with Uganda’s live-band music culture.

His death has been particularly painful because he remained active in music and was still performing.

For generations of Ugandans, Matovu’s name was associated with the saxophone, live performances and the enduring Afrigo sound.

His death has therefore triggered tributes from political, cultural, media and entertainment figures.

Buganda Katikiro Charles Peter Mayiga joined Matovu’s family, friends and members of the music fraternity in mourning the veteran musician.

Mayiga’s participation in the mourning reflected the cultural significance of Matovu’s contribution to Ugandan music and public life.

The family has also expressed appreciation to the titular leader of Muslims in Uganda, Prince Kassim Nakibinge, for honouring Matovu and showing love to the deceased. Nakibinge said the young people who are attacking people with pavers are the ones who deserve to be in “the basement.”

“The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has learnt with deep sadness the passing of a Live Band music icon, Moses Matovu who succumbed to injuries following an assault in Kibuli.

He will be remembered as a great Musician whose tunes were loved equally by the young and old across the continent and beyond. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, Afrigo Band and the entire music fraternity. We call upon security agencies to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice,” reads a statement signed by Richard Todwong the NRM Secretary General.

“The Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF) extends its deepest condolences to the family, members of Afrigo Band, friends, colleagues and the entire music fraternity following the passing of our legendary Moses Matovu, founder and long-serving leader of Afrigo Band.

Moses Matovu was not only a great musician, but also a teacher, mentor and one of Uganda’s most enduring inspirations in the entertainment industry. Through his leadership, Afrigo Band stood the test of time and became a powerful example of what commitment, consistency and passion for music can achieve,” reads in part statement signed by Eddy Kenzo.

“Most heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and all citizens who are mourning the devastating loss of a true musical icon – Moses Matovu. For every prominent public figure brutally murdered in Kampala, there are countless ordinary citizens who suffer the same tragic fate in silence, far from the headlines. The first and foremost duty of any government is to protect its people and their property. It is deeply tragic that these senseless killings continue entirely unabated. May his soul rest in peace,” says NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya.

‘I have lost a brother and friend’

Among those mourning Matovu is Gerald Mayanja Snr, the father of singer Jose Chameleone.

Mayanja said his friendship with Matovu dated back to 1968, describing the fallen musician as more than a colleague in music.

“He was more than a musician to me. He was a brother and a true friend,” Mayanja said.

He described Matovu as a clan mate and musical icon whose death had left him heartbroken.

For Mayanja and many others who knew Matovu personally, his death represents the loss of a generation of musicians who helped establish Uganda’s modern popular music tradition.

‘There will only ever be one’

Veteran journalist Charles Onyango-Obbo also paid tribute to Matovu, expressing sadness at the circumstances surrounding his death.

Onyango-Obbo said a group of Ugandan friends and fans abroad had previously begun discussions about raising funds for a major commemorative event to celebrate Matovu’s 80th birthday.

He said the proposed event was also intended to honour other Ugandan musical trailblazers, including Fred Kanyike, Peterson Mutebi, Elly Wamala and Hadija Namale.

Reflecting on Matovu’s legacy, Onyango-Obbo said the country had lost a unique figure.

“There will only ever be one you,” he wrote while paying tribute to the veteran musician.

His remarks captured the sense of loss among those who had hoped to celebrate Matovu while he was still alive.

‘A fallen giant’

Another tribute came from Bugingo Hannington, who described Matovu as a “fallen giant” and an icon and legend of Ugandan music. Bugingo said Matovu was more than a musician and had been a personal friend.

Through his voice, saxophone and leadership of Afrigo Band, Matovu entertained and inspired generations, he said.

His contribution, Bugingo added, helped keep live-band music alive in Uganda for more than five decades.

“He was more than a musician,” Bugingo said, describing Matovu’s music as part of Uganda’s cultural heritage.

Nyombi Thembo ‘heartbroken’

Uganda Communications Commission executive director Nyombi Thembo said he was deeply saddened by Matovu’s death.

Thembo said the death was difficult to comprehend because he had spoken to Matovu only a day earlier to confirm the musician’s performance at a family gathering scheduled for December 19.

“For over 50 years, Moses brought endless joy, culture and unity to millions of Ugandans,” Thembo said.

He described the circumstances of Matovu’s death as a painful tragedy for the country and sent condolences to the family, Afrigo Band fraternity and Ugandans mourning the musician.

Thembo also called on the creative community to honour Matovu’s memory and give him a dignified farewell.

Sheebah recalls Matovu’s generosity

Singer Sheebah Karungi was among the younger generation of musicians who paid tribute to Matovu.

She described the Afrigo Band icon as a true legend and said his music, talent and contribution to the industry would continue to live on.

Another musician, Mathias Walukagga, recalled Matovu’s generosity towards younger artistes.

Walukagga said Matovu had given singer Sheebah a studio in Kibuli free of charge and had encouraged musicians who were committed to producing what he considered authentic music.

“Moses also told me that I had good music,” Walukagga recalled. He said Matovu once called him to thank him for releasing what he described as “real music”.

The recollection offered another glimpse into Matovu’s contribution beyond his own performances — his role in supporting and encouraging younger musicians.

‘Remember the legend, not only his final moments’

Writer and social commentator David Soita Masinde urged Ugandans to remember Matovu for his contribution to music rather than allowing the circumstances of his death to overshadow his life.

Masinde said Matovu had given almost six decades to music and helped build Afrigo Band across generations.

He cautioned against reducing the musician’s entire life and career to the events surrounding the final hours of his life.

He said the facts established so far were that Matovu had been attacked at Kibuli Market Zone B, taken to Kibuli Hospital and died from his injuries, while police had opened a murder investigation.

His message was echoed in different ways by other mourners, who urged the public to allow investigators to establish what happened.

Kakwenza Rukirabashaija also shared a memory of Matovu and Afrigo Band, recalling their performance in London in September 2025.

Jim Spire Ssentongo said there had been efforts to recognise Matovu’s contribution to music through an honorary PhD, although the initiative did not materialise.

For Ssentongo, Matovu had already earned his place in Uganda’s musical history through his work.

Final journey begins

As investigations continue, preparations for Matovu’s burial have been completed. The Afrigo Band family announced a two-day send-off beginning Thursday, September 24.

Muslim funeral prayers, Swalat Janaza, are scheduled for Kibuli Mosque at 4:00pm on Thursday.

Mourners will then gather at the National Theatre at 7:00pm before the body is taken to Kyanja, where a vigil is scheduled to begin at 9:00pm.

Matovu will be buried in Kyanja on Friday, September 25, at 4:00pm. The burial is expected to bring together members of the Afrigo Band fraternity, musicians, cultural leaders, politicians, family members, friends and thousands of fans.

For many mourners, the funeral will be more than the burial of a musician.

It will mark the end of the physical journey of one of Uganda’s most enduring live-band performers and one of the figures who helped shape the country’s musical heritage.

But even as Uganda prepares to bid farewell to “Papa Moi”, detectives at CID will continue examining the circumstances that led to his death.

The interrogation of Tumusiime and the search for the male suspect are expected to form part of the effort to reconstruct the final hours of Matovu’s life.

Police have yet to establish publicly who inflicted the fatal injuries, what exactly triggered the confrontation or the precise sequence of events inside and outside the Kibuli residence.

Until those questions are answered, investigators are expected to treat the case as an ongoing murder inquiry.

For the country, however, the immediate task is mourning. For more than five decades, Matovu’s saxophone and the Afrigo sound provided entertainment at weddings, concerts, cultural events and public celebrations.

On Friday in Kyanja, Uganda will gather to say goodbye to the man whose musical career became intertwined with the country’s cultural history.

He leaves behind a vast musical legacy, a grieving family, generations of musicians he influenced and an audience that grew up with his music.

The investigation may eventually explain how his life ended. His music, mourners say, will explain why he will be remembered.

Author Profile

Jako David Waluluka: Mr. Jacko David Waluluka is another unique entertainment and general investigative news writer, a field he has diligently covered for over fifteen years. He’s also the Chief Administrator at The Investigator. He can easily be reached via [email protected]