Nikita Pearl Waligwa: David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o express grief over actor's death

Nikita Pearl Waligwa, the young actor who appeared in the 2016 Disney film Queen of Katwe, has passed away at the age of 15. She played the role of Gloria in the film. As per the reports she was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2016. 

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Nikita Pearl Waligwa passes away at the age of 15

The film also stars Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, and Lupita Nyong’o as Phiona Mutesi, Robert Katende and Nakku Harriet, respectively. Oyelowo and Nyong’o took to their official social media handle Instagram to express their grief. They posted the same picture of Nikita Pearl Waligwa from the movie. Take a look.

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The news has also saddened many others. Several people took to Twitter to share their condolence for the actor’s friends and family. Gayaza High School, which Nikita Pearl Waligwa had reportedly attended since 2018 also tweeted.

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The young artist was best known for her role in the Disney picture on a local chess prodigy from a Ugandan slum. Queen of Katwe was based on the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a 9-year-old chess player who famously competed in international tournaments. Nikita Pearl Waligwa as Gloria, Phiona’s friend, explained the rules of chess to her.

Queen of Katwe is a biographical drama film directed by Mira Nair and written by William Wheeler. It was screened at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. The film received mostly positive reviews and was released in limited screens on September 23, 2016.