Vincent Arnold Nsamba, the prime suspect in the killing of Afrigo Band legend Moses Matovu, has been remanded to Luzira Upper Prison after being formally charged with murder before the Makindye Chief Magistrates’ Court.
Nsamba, also known as Sitenda, appeared before Senior Magistrate Aidah Nanjala on Monday, September 28, where the murder charge was read to him. He told court that he had heard and understood the charge but was cautioned against making further statements because the magistrate’s court does not have jurisdiction to try a capital offence.
State prosecutor Jamaima Akingo told court that investigations were still ongoing. Nsamba was subsequently remanded until November 3, 2026, when the matter will return for mention as prosecutors and investigators continue building the case.
The charge sheet alleges that Nsamba, a resident of Agip Zone, Kibuli Parish in Makindye Division, caused the death of 77-year-old Matovu with malice aforethought on September 24, 2026, at Market B Zone in Kibuli. The prosecution has charged him under Sections 171 and 172 of the Penal Code Act.
How the deadly confrontation unfolded
The case stems from a dramatic early-morning confrontation that has shocked Uganda’s music industry.
Police say Matovu went to the residence of a woman identified as Rose Tumusiime in Kibuli at about 5:30am on September 24, after spending part of the night with her. Preliminary police findings indicated that the two were leaving the residence when they were confronted by a man believed to have previously been in a relationship with Tumusiime.
A physical confrontation followed, during which Matovu sustained serious injuries. A boda-boda rider reportedly rushed him to Kibuli Hospital, where he later died. Police immediately opened a murder investigation and launched a hunt for the man who had fled the scene.
The investigation quickly shifted from an initially unclear attack to Nsamba after detectives identified him as the man allegedly involved in the confrontation.
Within hours, a joint security operation traced Nsamba to Ochieng/Yesu Amala in Nansana Division, Wakiso District, where he was arrested on September 24. At the time, police described him as a private security guard.
Police reconstruct crime scene
The investigation intensified over the following days.
On September 25, detectives searched Nsamba’s residence in Nansana and reportedly recovered the jacket, shirt and trousers he had allegedly worn on the day Matovu was fatally assaulted.
Police subsequently returned Nsamba and Tumusiime to the Kibuli crime scene to reconstruct the events leading to Matovu’s death.
During the reconstruction, Nsamba reportedly acknowledged striking Matovu but disputed that he intended to kill the veteran musician.
According to a report by Daily Monitor, Nsamba told investigators: “I boxed him and he fell down. But I did not intend to kill him.” Police have continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the confrontation and the exact sequence of events.
Investigators have also been working to establish what happened inside and outside Tumusiime’s residence before the confrontation.
According to accounts reported by Daily Monitor, Tumusiime told investigators that Matovu had contacted her during the night and that they later moved between drinking spots in Kibuli before going to her residence. Nsamba, for his part, reportedly told detectives that he had gone to check on Tumusiime and encountered Matovu there. These accounts remain part of an ongoing investigation and have not been tested in court.
Matovu buried as suspect faces court
The murder investigation unfolded as Uganda was simultaneously mourning one of its most celebrated musicians.
Matovu, popularly known as Papa Moi, was buried in Kyanja on Friday, September 25, only a day after his death. Thousands of mourners, musicians, cultural figures and government officials gathered to pay their final respects to the veteran performer.
Matovu had spent nearly six decades in music and was a founding figure and longtime leader of Afrigo Band, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025. He was known as a saxophonist, vocalist, composer, arranger and bandleader.
But while his music career has now come to an end, the criminal investigation into the circumstances of his death is entering a new phase.
Nsamba is now facing a formal murder charge, while prosecutors continue gathering evidence. His next appearance at Makindye Magistrates’ Court is scheduled for November 3, 2026.
The court proceedings will determine the next procedural steps as the State completes its investigations. Nsamba remains an accused person, and the allegations against him have not yet been proved in court.
