Veteran musician and Afrigo Band founding member Moses Matovu has died after he was attacked by unidentified assailants in Kampala.
Matovu, 77, died at Kibuli Hospital on Thursday morning after he was rushed there following the attack, police said.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala said Matovu was attacked early Thursday at Kibuli Market Zone B in Makindye Division.
Police at Kabalagala Police Station have registered a case of suspected murder and deployed a task team to investigate the circumstances surrounding the musician’s death.
“Our task team is currently at the scene conducting investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident,” Ms Kawala said. “Efforts are also underway to identify and apprehend the suspected assailants.”
Preliminary information indicates that Matovu was attacked as he made his way to a mosque for morning prayers.
Richard Lule, who identified himself as a friend of the musician, told local media that Matovu routinely went for early morning prayers at Kibuli Mosque and had stepped out of his Land Rover when he was attacked.
Adam Bukenya, a family member, said he was contacted at about 4:45am and informed that his father had been assaulted, fallen to the ground and later died.
However, the circumstances surrounding the confrontation remain unclear. Police had not identified the assailants or established a motive by press time.
Investigators recovered exhibits from the scene, including a concrete paver, while bloodstains covered with ash were found near Matovu’s vehicle, according to the Monitor report.
Police continued examining the scene as family members and friends gathered at Kibuli Hospital, where Matovu’s body was taken to the mortuary pending funeral arrangements.
Matovu was one of the founding members of Afrigo Band, which was formed in Kampala in 1975.
He founded the band alongside Tony Ssenkebejje, Jef Sewava, Charles Ssekyanzi and Jessy Gitta, among others, after the collapse of the Cranes Band.
He had entered Uganda’s music industry in the 1960s, beginning his career in a church choir before performing with the Thunderbirds Band. He later joined the Police Band and the Cranes Band.
With Afrigo Band, Matovu became a central figure in Uganda’s live-band music tradition, serving at different times as the group’s leader, saxophonist, vocalist and composer.
The band went on to become one of Uganda’s longest-running and most influential live music groups, maintaining its presence across generations.
Matovu was born in Kampala on June 19, 1949, to Abdallah Bukenya bin Adam and Solome Nakitto. His career in music spanned nearly six decades.
His death brings to an end the career of one of the most recognisable figures in Uganda’s live-band music scene.
Police investigations into the circumstances of his death are ongoing.
