Waligwa played the role of Gloria, a friend of Phiona who explained the rules of chess to her.
Kampala – Nikita Pearl Waligwa was not only a star, but she
was also an inspiration to every young girl. She starred in Queen of
Katwe, a Disney film about a chess prodigy from a Ugandan slum.
Waligwa
has been a talented young girl whose star was blossoming into a bigger
one. It is so unfortunate that she has died aged 15 years.
Waligwa had been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Queen of Katwe
Queen
of Katwe is a 2016 film about Phiona Mutesi who started as a little
girl playing chess right here in Katwe until she became world champion.
The film starred Oscar-winning Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o as Phiona Mutesi’s mother and David Oyelowo as a chess teacher.
Waligwa played the role of Gloria, a friend of Phiona who explained the rules of chess to her.
She was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2016. She was given the all-clear in 2017 but last year was found to have another tumour.
Nikita’s body today was taken to Namirembe Cathedral for a funeral service. Her body will, later on, be taken to her father’s home in Kabojja a Kampala suburb. She will be buried on Monday.
May her soul rest in peace.
