Moses Matovu was one of the most enduring figures in Uganda's live-band music. Born on 19 June 1949 in Kawempe, Kampala, Matovu discovered his love for music at a very young age. As a child, he sang in the Namirembe Cathedral Choir, an experience that helped lay the foundation for a career that would span almost six decades. 

According to The Independent Uganda, before music became his life's profession, Matovu was also a talented footballer. He played for several Ugandan clubs, but eventually chose music, beginning his professional career in 1967 with the Thunderbirds Band as a vocalist. He later joined the Police Band and then the Cranes Band, where he developed further as a vocalist and instrumentalist. In the mid-1970s, Matovu and fellow musicians formed what would become Afrigo Band. The band officially emerged in 1975, with Matovu as one of its founding figures and its central leader. Afrigo went on to become Uganda's longest-running musical group, surviving political upheaval, changes in musical tastes, and generations of musicians. 

Matovu was not simply a bandleader. He was a saxophonist, flutist, singer and songwriter whose musical identity became closely associated with Afrigo's distinctive sound. The band combined Congolese rumba, jazz, funk and Ugandan rhythms, often using Luganda lyrics to tell stories about love, family, poverty, relationships and everyday life. Among the songs associated with Matovu and Afrigo are “Afrigo Batuuse,” “Nantongo,” “Genda Osome,” “Rose Guma,” “Obangaina,” “Nnemeddwa” and “Olumbe Lw'obwavu.” His songwriting and musicianship helped establish Afrigo as much more than an entertainment group—it became part of Uganda's cultural history. One of Matovu's greatest contributions was his commitment to mentoring younger musicians. Over the years, Afrigo became a training ground for many Ugandan performers, with musicians such as Joanita Kawalya and Rachel Magoola among those associated with the band's long history. Matovu repeatedly emphasized recruiting and nurturing younger talent so that the band could continue beyond its original members

In 2025, Afrigo celebrated 50 years, marking half a century of continuous musical history. That milestone reflected Matovu's extraordinary persistence and the ability of the band he helped build to adapt while retaining its identity.  Moses Matovu died on 24 September 2026, aged 77, according to reports published following his death. His passing marked the end of a remarkable chapter in Ugandan music.  His story is ultimately the story of a man who devoted his life to music: from a young chorister in Namirembe, to a professional vocalist and saxophonist, and finally to the man who stood at the helm of Afrigo Band for decades.

Moses Matovu did not merely perform Uganda's music; he helped preserve, develop, and pass it from one generation to another. His saxophone became part of the sound of Uganda, and his legacy lives on through Afrigo Band and the musicians he inspired.