Veteran Ugandan musician and Afrigo Band leader Moses Matovu has reportedly been killed following an attack, Daily Star has learnt. His death was confirmed by police.
Matovu, 77, was reportedly struck on the head during the attack and lost a significant amount of blood before he was rushed to Kibuli Hospital, where his body is said to be.
The circumstances surrounding the reported attack, including where it happened and who was involved, remain unclear.
“Police at Kabalagala have registered a case of suspected murder involving Matovu Moses, a musician with Afrigo Band. Moses was allegedly attacked this morning 24.09.2026 by unknown assailants at Kibuli Market Zone B, in Makindye Division, Kampala District,” Police said.
“He was rushed to Kibuli Hospital for medical attention, where he later succumbed to his injuries.Our task team is currently at the scene conducting investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. Efforts are also underway to identify and apprehend the suspected assailants,” Police said.
Matovu was one of Uganda’s most celebrated musicians and a founding member of Afrigo Band, the country’s longest-running band. He helped form the group in 1975 and remained its leader for decades.
Born on June 19, 1949, in Kawempe, Kampala, Matovu began his professional music career in 1967 as a vocalist with the Thunderbirds Band. He later joined the Police Band in 1968 and the Cranes Band in 1969 before becoming part of the group of musicians that formed Afrigo.
He was a singer, songwriter, saxophonist, flutist and band leader, and became one of the most recognisable faces of Uganda’s live-band music scene. He began singing at a young age as a chorister at Namirembe Cathedral.
Under Matovu’s leadership, Afrigo developed a distinctive sound combining Congolese rumba, jazz, funk and Ugandan traditional rhythms, with many of its songs performed in Luganda. The band produced numerous albums and became a major fixture of Uganda’s entertainment industry.
Afrigo also performed outside Uganda, including in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa, Denmark, Sweden, China, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The band celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025, marking five decades since its formation in Kampala.
Matovu’s reported death comes as the country continues to celebrate the contribution of the veteran musicians who shaped Uganda’s live-band era.
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