Moses Matovu, a veteran musician and Afrigo Band’s inspirational leader, is dead.

Matovu, 77, was attacked at 5.00 am by unknown people in Kibuli in his vehicle. It is suspected that he was hit with a paver or iron bar. The motive of the attacker is yet to be established.

Eyewitnesses said he was rushed to Kibuli Hospital, less than a kilometre away, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Racheal Kawala confirmed the death and said police had opened a murder case.

Preliminary information indicates that Matovu was on his way to a mosque for morning prayers when he was attacked.

Kawala said that police were working to identify and arrest the suspected attackers.

She said more information would be released as investigations continue.

Matovu’s death marks the loss of a musician whose career was closely linked to the development of Uganda’s live-band music.

Born on June 19, 1949, in Kawempe, Kampala, Matovu began his music career in the 1960s.

He joined the Thunderbirds Band as a vocalist in 1967 before moving to the Uganda Police Band and later the Cranes Band.

It was after the collapse of the Cranes Band that Matovu and other musicians formed Afrigo Band in 1975.

Matovu was among the eight founding members of the band, alongside musicians including Charles Ssekyanzi, Jeff Ssewava, Paul Serumaga, Paddy Nsubuga, Fred Luyombya, Anthony Kyeyune and Geoffrey Kizito.

Afrigo went on to become one of Uganda’s longest-running musical groups, surviving changes in musical tastes and generations of performers.

Last year, the band marked 50 years, a milestone that reflected its unusual longevity in Uganda’s entertainment industry.

Matovu remained at the centre of the group for decades as its leader, vocalist and saxophonist.

His death therefore leaves Afrigo Band without the man most closely associated with its history and survival.

But for Uganda’s music industry, it closes a remarkable chapter in the country’s live-band history.