Esteri Tebandeke, Trailblazing Ugandan Actress and Producer, Passes Away from Kidney Complications

Esteri Tebandeke, born Esther Brenda Apolot, passed away due to kidney complications. Reports of her death surfaced on social media on the morning of March 24, following a second health crisis after her previous transplant.

In 2022, Esteri faced a dire kidney diagnosis. A WhatsApp group, Friends of Sam and Esteri, rallied friends, creatives, and supporters for a donor and funds. A benefit concert with artists like Maurice Kirya helped, and her husband Samuel Lutaaya Tebandeke donated a kidney. Alan Kasujja’s intervention secured the remaining funds, allowing the couple to travel to India for the successful procedure.

Esteri was a force in Ugandan arts, known for her infectious laugh and phrase ‘biki biki.’ She broke barriers by writing and producing her own works, starring in films like Queen of Katwe as Sarah Kizito. There, she openly challenged colourism, noting how dark-skinned women like herself were sidelined for stereotypical roles—a sentiment echoed by peers like Lupita Nyong’o.

Her stage credits included dual roles in A Woman’s Body Was a Battlefield in the Bosnian War, her solo show Conversations With My Mother, and a gripping performance in The Rope post-surgery. She also featured in the M-Net film Influencer and founded the Binti Film Festival last year to empower female storytellers.

Just as she planned expansions for the festival, her health declined again, with her body rejecting the transplant. Esteri Tebandeke leaves an indelible mark of courage and creativity.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)