Moses Matovu, a career like no other before or after

What the report says

The Observer published a reflective tribute to Moses Matovu, also known as Papa Moi, describing his long-running influence in Ugandan music and football. The piece says Matovu was widely recognized as the band leader of Afrigo and, for the writer, an especially important figure at SC Villa, where he had served as a player, manager, administrator and steadfast supporter over many years.

According to the article, Matovu was valued not only for his public fame but also for his practical support of Villa during difficult periods, including helping cover some club expenses when finances were strained in the 2010s. The author recalls recent conversations about the club’s future and a planned media conference, as well as a late-2023 meeting with other associates that helped settle longstanding issues around club administration.

The tribute says the writer was shocked to learn of Matovu’s death on September 24 and frames his passing as a major loss for both his family and the football community. It also notes that Matovu was involved in conversations about reviving the Amato Ga Kabaka tournament, with plans for a monument at Bunjako discussed before his death. More broadly, the article presents him as a rare cross-figure in Ugandan public life: a celebrated musician and a committed sports administrator whose loyalty to Villa endured for decades.