KAMPALA
Police investigators have taken suspects Vincent Arnold Nsamba, also known as Sitenda or Arnold, and Rose Tusiime back through the events surrounding the death of veteran Afrigo Band musician Moses Matovu as detectives intensify efforts to establish what happened during the early-morning confrontation in Kibuli.
The reconstruction is part of the continuing murder investigation following the death of Matovu, 77, who succumbed to injuries sustained during a confrontation in Kibuli Market Zone B, Makindye Division, on Thursday, September 24.
The investigation is being coordinated by senior police officers, including Kampala Metropolitan Police CID Commander Milton Birungi Beigumamu, Kabalagala Division Commander Francis Akongo, and CID Kampala South Regional Commander Arthur Twiinamatsiko.
Police have not yet publicly released a final account of the incident or announced formal charges against the suspects.
What Happened Before the Confrontation
According to police and subsequent investigative accounts, Matovu had attended a function at Sheraton Gardens in Kampala on Wednesday evening before travelling to Kibuli in the early hours of Thursday.
Reports indicate that Matovu arrived at Tusiime's rented room in the Kibuli Market Zone area at about 5am–5:30am.
A detailed account published by Daily Monitor said Tusiime told detectives that Matovu entered the room, sat on her bed, and asked for a glass of water. She reportedly said that shortly afterwards, a man believed to be her former partner knocked on the door.
The man was later identified by police as Nsamba, aged 41.
According to the account, Tusiime did not open the door, after which the man allegedly smashed window panes before leaving the immediate doorway and waiting outside.
The precise sequence remains part of the police investigation, and authorities have not publicly confirmed every detail contained in witness accounts.
Confrontation Outside the Room
The confrontation reportedly occurred when Matovu and Tusiime left the room and began walking towards Matovu's vehicle, a Land Rover bearing registration number UAR 982H.
Police have said Nsamba confronted the pair and that a physical altercation followed.
According to preliminary police findings reported by New Vision, Matovu intervened when Nsamba allegedly began assaulting Tusiime. Matovu was then allegedly struck, causing him to fall and sustain a serious head injury.
Other reports have said Nsamba allegedly punched both Tusiime and Matovu during the confrontation.
Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Rachael Kawala initially described the incident as a physical fight but cautioned that detectives were still working to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the confrontation and Matovu's death.
Matovu Rushed to Hospital
After the confrontation, Nsamba allegedly fled the area.
Matovu was left seriously injured and bleeding, and was subsequently taken to Kibuli Hospital by a boda boda rider. Some reports have identified the rider as Paul.
Despite efforts to save him, Matovu died at the hospital.
The death prompted Kabalagala Police to open a suspected murder investigation, while detectives and forensic officers were deployed to Kibuli to examine the scene and recover possible evidence.
Among the exhibits reportedly recovered from the scene was a concrete paver, while bloodstains were found on the ground near Matovu's vehicle.
Police Launch Manhunt
Tusiime was initially taken into custody to assist investigators with establishing what had happened and tracing the man who had fled the scene.
Detectives subsequently identified Nsamba as the main suspect.
Police said he was a private security guard and launched a joint operation to locate him.
Nsamba was eventually arrested in Ochange Ward, Yesu Amala, Nansana Division, Wakiso District, several hours after the incident.
Reports said intelligence and security teams were involved in tracking him.
The arrest changed the investigation from an initial search for an unidentified attacker to the interrogation of a named suspect whose alleged involvement investigators are now seeking to establish.
Search of Suspect's Home
On Friday, detectives searched Nsamba's home in Nansana.
According to New Vision, investigators recovered a jacket, shirt, and trousers that Nsamba allegedly wore on the day Matovu was fatally injured.
The items were taken as part of the investigation as detectives continued gathering physical and forensic evidence that could help establish the sequence of events.
Police have also been examining the Kibuli crime scene and interviewing people who may have witnessed the confrontation or events leading up to it.
Saturday Reconstruction
On Saturday, September 26, investigators returned to the Kibuli scene with the suspects as part of efforts to reconstruct the events of the fatal morning.
The reconstruction is intended to help detectives compare the accounts given by those involved with the physical layout of the area and evidence already collected from the scene.
Investigators are expected to examine the movements of Matovu, Tusiime, and Nsamba; the location where the confrontation allegedly began; the point where Matovu fell; and the route taken after the assault.
Such reconstruction forms part of the wider investigative process and does not, by itself, establish criminal responsibility.
Both suspects remain in police custody as detectives continue questioning them and examining the evidence.
The case is registered at Kabalagala Police Station under CRB 1072/2026, according to police-related reports.
Who Is Nsamba?
Nsamba, 41, has been described in police and media reports as a private security guard.
Some local accounts have also described him as a former casual worker who helped with loading musical instruments and equipment for Afrigo Band.
Reports from residents have additionally alleged that he had experience in kickboxing and that there had been previous disagreements between him and Tusiime.
Those claims have not been established in court and remain part of the background being reported around the investigation.
Police have not publicly released a detailed criminal or employment history for Nsamba.
Matovu's Final Journey
While the investigation continued, Uganda's music fraternity gathered to mourn Matovu.
The veteran musician was buried in Kyanja on Friday, September 25, a day after his death.
Muslim funeral prayers were held at Kibuli Mosque before mourners gathered at the National Theatre and later proceeded to Kyanja for the vigil and burial. Thousands of mourners attended the final farewell.
Matovu's death brought an end to a career spanning nearly six decades.
Born on June 19, 1949, in Kawempe, Kampala, Matovu began his musical journey in the 1960s with the Thunderbirds Band before later joining the Police Band and the Cranes Band.
After the Cranes Band folded, he and other musicians formed Afrigo Band in 1975.
The group became one of Uganda's longest-running live bands, with Matovu serving as a vocalist, saxophonist, composer, arranger, and longtime leader. Afrigo marked its 50th anniversary in 2025.
Investigation Continues
The circumstances surrounding Matovu's final moments remain under investigation.
Police have indicated that the confrontation may have been connected to a relationship between Tusiime and Nsamba, but authorities have not announced a final motive.
Investigators still have to establish the precise sequence of events, how Matovu sustained the injuries that caused his death, and whether anyone else played a role.
The suspects have not been convicted, and the allegations against them remain subject to investigation and, if charges are filed, determination by a court.
As detectives continue the reconstruction, forensic examination, and interviews, Matovu's family, Afrigo Band, and Uganda's wider music community await answers about the events that brought the life of one of the country's most enduring musicians to an abrupt end.
