Vincent Nsamba
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Vincent Nsamba, also known as Arnold, is a 41-year-old security guard who has been arrested by police in connection with the suspected murder of veteran Afrigo Band musician Moses Matovu.
Nsamba was identified by the Uganda Police Force as the prime suspect after Matovu was fatally injured during an early morning confrontation in Kampala on September 24, 2026.
His arrest has shifted the investigation from a manhunt for an unidentified attacker to efforts to establish exactly what happened during the confrontation that ended with the death of one of Uganda’s most celebrated musicians.
Nsamba arrested in Nansana
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala, Nsamba was arrested in Ochange Ward, Yesu Amala, Nansana Division, Wakiso District, following an operation involving police and intelligence teams.
“The prime suspect in connection with the murder of Afrigo Band musician Matovu Moses has been arrested,” Kawala said in a statement issued on Thursday.
Police have not disclosed details of the operation that led to Nsamba’s arrest or said whether he has been formally charged.
Investigations remain ongoing as detectives work to reconstruct the events leading to Matovu’s death and establish the circumstances surrounding the fatal confrontation.
Police’s account
Police say Matovu, who was popularly known as Papa Moi, had visited the residence of a woman identified as Rose Tumusiime in the Kibuli Depot area of Makindye Division at around 5:30am on Thursday.
According to the preliminary account, Matovu and Tumusiime were leaving the residence when they were confronted by a man believed to be a former romantic partner of the woman.
Police have identified that man as Nsamba.
The encounter reportedly developed into a physical confrontation in which Matovu sustained serious injuries.
He was subsequently taken to Kibuli Hospital, where he later died.
Police have not yet provided a definitive account of how the injuries were inflicted, leaving that aspect among the issues being investigated.
Love-triangle confrontation
The police account has pointed to a possible crime of passion or love-triangle altercation as the circumstances behind the confrontation.
Nsamba is described as a private security guard who had previously been in a relationship with Tumusiime.
However, police have not announced a confirmed motive or made a final determination about what triggered the confrontation.
Tumusiime has also been taken into police custody at Kabalagala Police Division, but authorities have stressed that she is assisting investigators and is not being treated as the person who directly killed Matovu.
Her account could therefore form part of the evidence detectives use to establish what happened before, during and after the confrontation.
Security guard, murder suspect
Nsamba’s identification as a security guard provides the limited publicly available background about the man now at the centre of the investigation.
Beyond his age, name and occupation, police have not released detailed information about his personal history, employment or any previous criminal record.
His arrest followed an intensive search after Matovu’s death, with investigators tracing the suspected attacker to Nansana.
For now, Nsamba remains a suspect, rather than a convicted killer. The circumstances of the death will have to be established through the police investigation and, if charges are brought, the judicial process.
Investigation continues
Matovu’s death has sent shockwaves through Uganda’s music fraternity, particularly because of his long association with Afrigo Band, one of the country’s most enduring musical groups.
Police say their investigation is continuing, with detectives seeking to establish the full circumstances of the incident and determine whether other people played any role.
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