Takeaways

• Moses Matovu, 77, has passed on at Kibuli Hospital after being attacked in Kampala.
• Police say he was attacked shortly after 5am at Kibuli Market Zone B as he headed to a mosque for morning prayers.
• Police are investigating the incident and working to identify and apprehend the assailants.

Veteran musician and Afrigo Band icon Moses Matovu has died at the age of 77 after being attacked by unidentified assailants in Kampala.

Matovu died at Kibuli Hospital on Thursday morning, where he had been rushed for medical attention following the attack.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Racheal Kawala confirmed that the musician was attacked early Thursday at Kibuli Market Zone B in Makindye Division.

“The musician was attacked early Thursday at Kibuli Market Zone B in Makindye Division and later succumbed to his injuries,” Kawala said.

Preliminary information indicates that Matovu was attacked shortly after 5am as he made his way to a mosque for morning prayers.

The circumstances surrounding the attack and the identity of the assailants were not immediately clear.

Kawala said a police task team had visited the scene to investigate the incident, while efforts were underway to identify and apprehend the suspects.

By 8am on Thursday, Matovu’s body was still at the mortuary as family members and friends began gathering, pending funeral arrangements.

Matovu was a founding member of Afrigo Band, which he formed in Kampala on August 31, 1975, alongside Tony Ssenkebejje, Jef Sewava, Charles Ssekyanzi and Jessy Gitta.

Afrigo Band went on to become one of Uganda’s longest-running and most influential live bands, with Matovu playing a major role in the country’s music scene for decades.