KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda Police have arrested a 41-year-old man in connection with the death of Afrigo Band veteran Moses Matovu, turning an earlier manhunt into a custody-led investigation. Police say the suspect was found in Nansana, Wakiso District, on Thursday evening. The arrest is not a finding of guilt, and investigators have not announced a charge or a final account of the confrontation that preceded Matovu’s death.
Police have arrested the male suspect they had earlier said fled after a confrontation in Kibuli. A woman who was with Matovu is also assisting investigators. Detectives still must establish the sequence of events, determine criminal responsibility and decide what charges, if any, the evidence supports.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala confirmed that the man sought after the fatal incident had been arrested. Tuko reported the police statement at 8:27 PM EAT, identifying him as a 41-year-old man detained in Ochange Ward, Yesu Amala, Nansana Division.
Daily Monitor also reported the arrest, using a police handout photograph. Nile Post identified the suspect as Vincent Nsamba, also known as Arnold, and described him as a private security guard.
Those employment details remain part of the developing police account rather than a court finding.
The arrest materially updates XTRAfrica’s first report on Matovu’s death, which was published before any arrest had been announced. It also supersedes the interim position in XTRAfrica’s Moses Matovu biography, which recorded that police were pursuing an identified male suspect.
What police say happened in Kibuli
Police say Matovu was fatally injured after a confrontation in Kibuli early on Thursday, 24 September. Their preliminary account places the encounter near the residence of a woman who had been with him. Investigators allege that a man linked to the woman confronted the pair and that a physical altercation followed.
Nile Post’s arrest report says Matovu was taken to Kibuli Hospital by a boda boda rider after sustaining serious injuries. He later died at the hospital. Police registered the case at Kabalagala Police Station and launched a search for the man they believed had left the scene.
JUSTICE & CRIME
Suspect Arrested in Moses Matovu Death Investigation
Sep 25, 2026
Sep 25, 2026
4 min read
Published
Updated:
KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda Police have arrested a 41-year-old man in connection with the death of Afrigo Band veteran Moses Matovu, turning an earlier manhunt into a custody-led investigation. Police say the suspect was found in Nansana, Wakiso District, on Thursday evening. The arrest is not a finding of guilt, and investigators have not announced a charge or a final account of the confrontation that preceded Matovu’s death.
Police have arrested the male suspect they had earlier said fled after a confrontation in Kibuli. A woman who was with Matovu is also assisting investigators. Detectives still must establish the sequence of events, determine criminal responsibility and decide what charges, if any, the evidence supports.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala confirmed that the man sought after the fatal incident had been arrested. Tuko reported the police statement at 8:27 PM EAT, identifying him as a 41-year-old man detained in Ochange Ward, Yesu Amala, Nansana Division.
Daily Monitor also reported the arrest, using a police handout photograph. Nile Post identified the suspect as Vincent Nsamba, also known as Arnold, and described him as a private security guard.
Those employment details remain part of the developing police account rather than a court finding.
ADVERTISEMENT
The arrest materially updates XTRAfrica’s first report on Matovu’s death, which was published before any arrest had been announced. It also supersedes the interim position in XTRAfrica’s Moses Matovu biography, which recorded that police were pursuing an identified male suspect.
What police say happened in Kibuli
Police say Matovu was fatally injured after a confrontation in Kibuli early on Thursday, 24 September. Their preliminary account places the encounter near the residence of a woman who had been with him. Investigators allege that a man linked to the woman confronted the pair and that a physical altercation followed.
Nile Post’s arrest report says Matovu was taken to Kibuli Hospital by a boda boda rider after sustaining serious injuries. He later died at the hospital. Police registered the case at Kabalagala Police Station and launched a search for the man they believed had left the scene.
A woman who was with Matovu had already been taken into custody to assist the investigation. Her detention does not establish involvement in a crime. Investigators will need to determine what she witnessed, whether any account is corroborated by forensic evidence and whether she remains a witness or becomes a suspect in a formal charge.
ADVERTISEMENT
Why the arrest does not settle the case
An arrest gives detectives access to another direct account of the incident, but it does not prove the police theory. The suspect has not been convicted, and no court has tested the allegations. Police have not publicly released a post-mortem finding, a charge sheet or a complete evidentiary timeline.
Ugnews Line’s account quotes Kawala as saying investigators are still establishing the circumstances surrounding the death. That qualification is central: early reports described unknown attackers, while the later account focused on a confrontation involving people known to one another.
The changing chronology illustrates why claims about motive should remain provisional. Reports that characterise the case as jealousy, a relationship dispute or a planned attack go beyond what a court has established. Police can investigate those possibilities, but news coverage should attribute them and preserve the presumption of innocence.
TRENDING NOW
POPULAR TODAY
ADVERTISEMENT
Detectives are expected to interview the man in custody, compare his account with witness statements and examine physical evidence recovered from the Kibuli scene. They may also obtain medical and forensic findings that clarify how Matovu was injured and whether more than one person played a role.
The next decisive public step would be a formal charge and court appearance. Until then, the verified development is limited but important: police say the man they had been pursuing is now in custody, while the legal responsibility for Matovu’s death remains undetermined.
Matovu, 77, was a singer, saxophonist and central figure in Afrigo Band’s five-decade history. His death has prompted nationwide mourning and renewed interest in the band’s cultural legacy. The criminal investigation must now proceed separately from that public grief, with its conclusions based on evidence rather than speculation.
ADVERTISEMENT
RELATED ARTICLE
