Local reports emerging from Uganda confirm the death of 15-year-old Disney star Nikita Pearl Waligwa.
She reportedly died as a result of a brain tumour which she was first diagnosed with in 2016.
She underwent a surgery and then doctors declared her free from the tumour in 2017.
However, in the early parts of 2019, she needed the sum of 20,000 USD for an operation in India to remove the tumour. That money was reportedly funded by the director of the popular Disney movie.
The young star featured in the widely acclaimed 2016 biographical drama movie Queen of Katwe. The movie which also featured Lupita Nyong’o, depicts the life of Phiona Mutesi, a Ugandan girl living in a slum in Katwe.
Nikita Pearl played the role of Gloria, a friend to the main character Phiona Mutesi.
According to a family member, she was in a lot of pain, as her brain was swollen and exerting a lot of pressure.
Local media report that she passed away on Saturday night at TMR International Hospital, in Naalya, Kampala.
