Security tasked to bring Moses Matovu’s killers to justice

• Balaam Barugahara condemned Matovu’s killing as a senseless act of violence.

• He asked security agencies to identify, arrest and prosecute the assailants.

• Police have opened a suspected murder case and visited the scene in Kibuli.

• Matovu led Afrigo Band for five decades and died aged 77.

Local Government minister Balaam Barugahara has asked security agencies to find and prosecute the people behind the killing of Afrigo Band founder Moses Matovu.

Barugahara described Matovu’s death as a major loss to Uganda’s music industry and condemned the attack as senseless.

“I appeal to our joint security agencies to do everything possible, as always, to identify, apprehend and bring to justice those responsible for this heinous act,” Barugahara said on September 24, 2026.

The minister said a gang attacked Matovu in Kibuli as he returned from work on Wednesday night.

Police gave a slightly different account of the timing. Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala said unidentified assailants attacked Matovu on Thursday morning at Kibuli Market Zone B in Makindye Division.

The attackers reportedly struck Matovu on the head, causing severe blood loss. He was taken to Kibuli Hospital, where he later died.

Kawala said Kabalagala police had opened a suspected murder case. Investigators also visited the scene to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack.

Police have not disclosed the number of assailants, the weapon used or a possible motive. No arrests had been announced by the time of publication.

Barugahara mourned Matovu as an irreplaceable talent whose work shaped Uganda’s culture.

“Uganda’s music industry has lost a true legend whose contribution to our culture and music will remain unforgettable. He was a giant of our music industry, and a talent we may never replace,” he said.

He sent condolences to Matovu’s family, Afrigo Band, fellow musicians and fans.

“Rest well, Mzee Moses Matovu. Your music and legacy will live on,” Barugahara said.

Matovu, 77, founded Afrigo Band with other musicians in the mid-1970s. The singer and saxophonist led the group for five decades and became one of Uganda’s most respected musicians.