Nikita Pearl Waligwa, star of Disney's 'Queen of Katwe', dies of brain tumour

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Queen of Katwe, Nikita Pearl Waligwa, brain tumour, Mira Nair

Dubai - She was given the all-clear in 2017 but last year was found to have another tumour.

By Web Report

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Published: Sun 16 Feb 2020, 5:37 PM

Last updated: Thu 19 Mar 2020, 3:22 PM

Nikita Pearl Waligwa, a 15-year-old Ugandan actress who worked in Disney movie 'Queen of Katwe', has died.

According to BBC, the actress had been diagnosed with brain tumour.

She was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2016 and 'Queen of Katwe' director Mira Nair reportedly mobilised people to help fund her treatment in India, with Ugandan doctors quoted as saying they did not have the necessary equipment, the report added.

She was given the all-clear in 2017 but last year was found to have another tumour.

Local reports said she passed away on Saturday evening (February 15) at TMR International Hospital, in Naalya, Kampala.

The teen shot to fame as the star of the Disney movie, in which she plays Gloria, a chess prodigy who hailed from the slums of Uganda.


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