Moses Matovu

Moses Matovu was born on 19 June 1949 in Kawempe Division, Kampala, Uganda — a child whose voice found its first home in the pews of Namirembe Cathedral Choir, where he began singing at the age of four. Raised by his mother Solome Nakitto after his parents' separation, he grew up in Mengo, attending Namirembe Primary School and later Kibuli Secondary School, where the seeds of a lifelong musical vocation were quietly taking root. When formal schooling was disrupted in 1966 following the abolition of traditional Ugandan institutions, Matovu turned briefly to football — playing for clubs including Nakivubo Boys, Express FC, and Police FC — before music claimed him entirely. In 1967, he stepped onto the stage as a vocalist with the Thunderbirds Band, the first chapter in a performing career that would span nearly six decades. He moved through the Police Band and the celebrated Cranes Band, honing his gifts as a saxophonist, flutist, vocalist, and composer. When the Cranes Band dissolved around 1974–1975, Matovu gathered fellow musicians and on 31 August 1975 co-founded Afrigo Band — a name born from "Africa Go," a declaration of forward motion. What began as a collective of committed artists became Uganda's most celebrated and longest-running musical ensemble, weaving Congolese rumba with Ugandan traditional rhythms and singing primarily in Luganda with a precision that only a true master of the language could achieve. For over fifty years, Matovu was the band's bandleader, principal saxophonist, vocalist, and principal composer. Songs such as "Nantongo," "Silina Anantwaala," "Teri Mubi," and "Genda Osome" entered the soul of Uganda and never left. He turned down retirement again and again, insisting that his purpose was not just to perform but to nurture the next generation — mentoring artists including Joanita Kawalya, Rachel Magoola, and Herman Ssewanyana. Known affectionately across Uganda as "Papa Moi," he shaped the industry not through noise, but through quiet discipline, reliability, and love for the craft. Moses Matovu passed away on 24 September 2026, at Kibuli Hospital in Kampala, following a tragic attack near Kibuli Market. He was 77 years old and was laid to rest in Kyanja on 25 September 2026. He leaves behind a son, Ssajjabi, the members of Afrigo Band, and generations of musicians and music lovers whose lives he touched. His saxophone has fallen silent, but the sound it made — unmistakably Ugandan, unmistakably Afrigo — will endure.