New details have emerged of what transpired before the death of veteran musician and Afrigo Band leader Moses Matovu, 77, who was killed in Kibuli, Makindye Division, on Thursday morning. Matovu was killed at around 5:40 a.m. near Lubowa Mosque in Market B zone, after a violent confrontation that started inside a woman’s rental room where he had spent time before he was reportedly attacked on the road.
According to a statement the woman suspects, identified by police only as Rose, gave to detectives and local leaders, she returned home at around 2:00 a.m. with Matovu and they went inside her room until 5:00 am after when her alleged former boyfriend knocked on the door, but she refused to open.
When she refused to open, he turned violent, attempting to break the door and smashing the window glasses. He saw a man inside, whom she told him was her father, but he rejected the information and turned more violent.
Rogers Tukamuhebwa, the Defence Secretary of Market A zone who was among the first responders, said Rose narrated this to him while at Kibuli Hospital before she was arrested. He said that the landlord came out to ask what was happening after hearing the commotion, prompting the man to move away but he waited for them on the road.
“She told me that she gave the deceased a cup of water and after she escorted him to his vehicle on road, but the prime suspect jumped at her and started slapping her, which prompted Matovu to get out of the vehicle and try to intervene, asking why she was being beaten, and he ran into him and punched him.” Tukamuhebwa said.
He however noted that although the woman claimed the prime suspect was her former boyfriend, during the attack on the house he was shouting at the top of his voice that he pays for the room’s rental only for her bring in her new men.
His account was echoed by Asha Naigaga, the Chairperson of Kibuli Two Parish.”I have not spoken to the lady, but I have observed the violent scene with windows smashed everywhere and an attempt to break the door with visible damage, which shows that he found them inside, but the second attack was outside on the road when the deceased was leaving,” Naigaga said.
In the scuffle on the road, Matovu was punched, fell on the pavement and sustained a fatal head injury. Dyogo Paul, a boda boda rider who rushed Matovu to Kibuli Hospital, said the musician was bleeding profusely. He said he when doctors received him and started giving him first aid, after about 30 minutes they told them that he had passed away.
Residents in Market A and B zones described Rose as a well-known commercial sex worker in the area who frequents bars around Kibuli and other neighboring areas Lubowa with different men.
Zaam Namatoovu, a daughter to the deceased, said the family had just finished prayers when someone raised an alarm.”We had finished prayers when someone came making an alarm that my father has been killed,” Zaam said. “When we rushed to the scene, we were informed that he was taken to the hospital. Upon reaching there we got the shocking news that he had breathed his last.”
Police have now arrested Rose whose room has also been searched by detectives for more than three hours in her presence for relevant evidence. By around 2:30p.m, the detectives sealed off the room and took her back to Kabalagala Police Division with some of the packed relevant evidence collected from her room. Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Rachael Kawala said Rose has given detectives crucial leads on the prime suspect who is still at large.
“So far the preliminary investigations show that the death is around the confrontation that resulted from this woman, Kawala said. “We can’t right now determine exactly what could have caused this tragedy, but we are almost close to arresting this man, who is a private security guard.”
By press time, Matovu’s Land Rover Discovery registration number UAR 982H remains at Kabalagala Police Division as investigations into the murder unfold, while his body is expected to be prayed for at Kibuli Mosque at 4: pm, with burial expected to be on Friday-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
