Was Moses Matovu overlooked? Spire Ssentongo questions honorary PhDs

What the report says

Ugandan commentator and academic Spire Ssentongo has raised questions about how the country recognises cultural figures after the death of veteran musician Moses Matovu. In a post cited by Sqoop Uganda, Ssentongo said there had been efforts for several years to secure Matovu an honorary PhD in music, but that the attempt did not materialise.

The article says the discussion was prompted by Matovu’s death at age 77, which has revived attention on his long career as a co-founder of Afrigo Band. Matovu spent more than five decades helping build the group into one of Uganda’s most enduring musical institutions, mentoring younger musicians and shaping a sound that became widely associated with Ugandan popular music.

Ssentongo used the moment to critique what he described as a trend in which honorary doctorates are increasingly given to wealthy people rather than to figures who have made lasting cultural contributions. The piece frames his comments as part of a broader debate about whether artists and other creative workers receive meaningful recognition while they are still alive.

More generally, honorary degrees are often used by universities to acknowledge public service, arts, science or other contributions outside academic research. In Matovu’s case, Sqoop Uganda suggests the missed honorary doctorate has become a symbol of wider concerns about how Uganda values its cultural icons.