Nikita Pearl Waligwa, who starred as Gloria in Disney’s movie, Queen of Katwe passed on on Saturday, 15th February 2020.
Nikita Pearl Waligwa, 15, apparently succumbed to brain cancer after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016.
Her school, Gayaza High School, confirmed that indeed Waligwa had died from brain cancer in a Twitter post made on Sunday, 16th February 2020.
Fare thee well Nikita Pearl Waligwa. You were a darling to many and we have lost you to brain tumor at such a tender age. Nikita was in S.3. Rest in Perfect Peace dear pic.twitter.com/ny8I9YAjsQ
— Gayaza High School (@gayazahigh) February 16, 2020
Waligwa starred alongside Lupita Nyong’o in Queen of Katwe, which was based on the true story of Phiona Mutesi, an uneducated girl from the slum who took up chess in 2005 and overcame overwhelming odds to become the first female winner of Uganda’s junior chess championships.
Waligwa who starred as Gloria was a younger friend of Phiona in the 2016 film and explained to her the rules of the game in the film.
Nikita will be laid to rest on Monday at her father’s home in Kabojja. There will also be a funeral service at Namirembe Cathedral at 3:00 pm.