The final hours of veteran musician Moses Matovu took a tragic turn in the early hours of Thursday after a reported confrontation with a man who police say had previously been in a relationship with the woman who was accompanying him.
Matovu, 77, was seriously injured during the incident at Kibuli Depot in Makindye Division, Kampala, and later died at Kibuli Hospital, where he had been taken for treatment.
The incident has opened a suspected murder investigation, with police seeking to establish exactly what happened during the confrontation and what led to Matovu’s fatal injuries.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Kawala Rachael, preliminary investigations indicate that Matovu went to the woman’s residence at about 5:30 a.m.
Police allege that Matovu and the woman were leaving the residence when they encountered a male suspect who had previously been in a relationship with the same woman.
The encounter reportedly developed into a physical altercation.
“Following the arrest of the female who was in the company of the deceased, preliminary information indicates that the incident may have arisen from a physical altercation,” Kawala said.
She cautioned, however, that investigators had not yet established the full circumstances surrounding the confrontation and Matovu’s subsequent death.
Suspect on the run
The woman who was with Matovu has been arrested and remains in police custody as detectives investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Police have also identified the male suspect they believe was involved in the confrontation.
According to Kawala, the suspect is believed to have fled the scene and is being pursued by police.
“The male suspect has been positively identified and is believed to have fled the scene,” she said.
Police say his arrest is expected to help investigators establish what happened during the confrontation.
Matovu sustained serious injuries and was taken to Kibuli Hospital by a boda boda rider. He later succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators are now examining different accounts of the incident as they seek to establish the sequence of events that preceded the musician’s death.
“Our investigators are continuing to verify the various accounts surrounding the incident,” Kawala said.
She also appealed to the public to remain calm and allow detectives to conduct their work without interference.
A career that shaped Uganda’s live music
Matovu’s death marks the loss of one of the most enduring figures in Uganda’s live-band music tradition.
He was a co-founder and long-standing leader of Afrigo Band, which emerged in the 1970s and went on to become one of Uganda’s longest-running musical groups.
Matovu joined the music industry in 1967 as a vocalist with the Thunderbirds Band.
He later performed with the Police Band and Cranes Band before joining other musicians in forming Afrigo Band.
For decades, he remained central to the group as its leader, saxophonist, vocalist and composer. His career helped connect successive generations of Ugandan musicians and audiences to the country’s live-band tradition.
Born on June 19, 1949, in Kawempe, Kampala, Matovu attended Namirembe Primary School, Kibuli Secondary School and Pillai's Secondary School.
His formal education was interrupted in 1966 following the abolition of traditional institutions, after which he focused more heavily on football and music.
His musical career eventually became his defining legacy.
Afrigo Band survived major changes in Uganda’s political, cultural and entertainment landscape, while Matovu remained one of its most recognisable figures.
The band celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025, underscoring the extraordinary longevity of the institution he helped build.
Investigation continues
For police, the immediate priority is to establish the circumstances that turned an early-morning encounter into a fatal incident.
The arrest of the woman who was with Matovu and the search for the male suspect are part of the ongoing investigation.
Police have not yet presented a final account of what triggered the confrontation or established the precise events that resulted in Matovu’s injuries.
“We call upon members of the public to remain calm and allow investigators to conduct their work without interference,” Kawala said.
As detectives continue their inquiries, the death of Matovu has left Uganda’s music community mourning a musician whose career stretched across nearly six decades.
Police said further information would be provided as investigations progress.
