Rose Tumusiime has emerged at the centre of investigations into the death of veteran musician Moses Matovu after police confirmed that she was the woman who was with the Afrigo Band legend shortly before he was fatally attacked in Kibuli, Kampala.
Tumusiime, described in police-related reports as Matovu’s girlfriend, was arrested following the incident and is assisting detectives as they piece together what happened in the early hours of Thursday, September 24, 2026.
However, beyond her connection to the incident, little verified information is publicly available about Tumusiime’s personal life, making it difficult to establish a detailed biography of the woman who has suddenly found herself at the centre of a major police investigation.
What Happened Before Matovu’s Death?
According to preliminary police information and eyewitness accounts reported by New Vision, Matovu went to Tumusiime’s residence in the Kibuli Market Zone B area at around 4:00 a.m. after an outing.
The residence was reportedly close to Matovu’s own home in Kibuli.
New Vision reported that the pair later left the residence and were heading towards Matovu’s Land Rover, registration UAR 982H, when they encountered a man who allegedly attacked them.
An eyewitness cited by the publication said the man first attacked Tumusiime before Matovu intervened and questioned why she was being assaulted.
The attacker then allegedly turned on Matovu, seriously injuring him before fleeing the scene.
Matovu was rushed to Kibuli Hospital by a boda boda rider, but later died from his injuries.
Police have identified the male suspect and said he is believed to have fled the scene.
Police Link Suspect to Tumusiime
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala, preliminary information indicates that the incident may have resulted from a physical altercation involving Tumusiime and a man who had previously been in a relationship with her.
Police have not, however, established the full circumstances surrounding the confrontation or the exact motive.
“The exact circumstances surrounding the confrontation and subsequent death are yet to be fully established,” Kawala said, according to reports.
This means that while investigators are examining the alleged relationship between Tumusiime and the male suspect, the precise sequence of events leading to Matovu’s death remains under investigation.
Who Is Rose Tumusiime?
Public information about Tumusiime remains limited.
Reports describe her as a middle-aged woman living in rented accommodation in the Kibuli area, near Matovu’s residence. Her home has become an important part of the police reconstruction of the events preceding the attack.
Beyond those details, mainstream reports have not established a comprehensive background covering her age, education, family, occupation or previous personal history.
Several entertainment and gossip reports have circulated additional descriptions of Tumusiime and made claims about her alleged occupation or lifestyle. Those descriptions have not been established in the police accounts currently available and should therefore not be treated as confirmed facts.
Why Was She Arrested?
Tumusiime’s arrest does not by itself establish that she participated in Matovu’s killing.
Police have said she was arrested and is assisting detectives with the investigation while they pursue the male suspect who allegedly fled the scene.
Investigators are expected to rely on witness statements and other evidence to establish what happened before, during and after the confrontation.
Reports have also indicated that police recovered exhibits from the scene as part of their investigation.
The Questions Police Must Answer
The circumstances surrounding Matovu’s death have left several questions unanswered.
Why did the confrontation begin? What exactly happened between Tumusiime and the male suspect? What role, if any, did the confrontation play in Matovu’s death? And what happened in the moments between the trio encountering each other and Matovu being rushed to hospital?
Police are continuing to investigate those questions.
For now, Tumusiime remains a person of interest in an ongoing investigation rather than someone who has been publicly established as responsible for Matovu’s death.
A Woman at the Centre of a Developing Investigation
The investigation has placed Rose Tumusiime in the public spotlight following the death of one of Uganda’s most celebrated veteran musicians.
But while more details about the fatal confrontation are emerging, verified information about Tumusiime herself remains scarce.
What is currently established is that she was with Matovu shortly before the attack, that police have arrested her as part of their investigation, and that detectives are pursuing a male suspect whom police say had previously been in a relationship with her.
Until investigators complete their work, claims about her background, the motive for the confrontation or her involvement in Matovu’s death should be treated with caution.
