“I was so angry, and I think I channeled my anger into drive. I decided I am going to keep working,” actress Bwire Ndubi said.
Ndubi was speaking during candid interview with media personality Lynn Ngugi, where she recounted her breast cancer diagnosis.
She dived into her feelings- denial, questioning God, and the emotional roller-coaster that ensued.
“My Sultana team called me out of concern and told me ‘feel free to find someone to play this role, so that you can take time to heal.’ And I was like ‘no, I’ll do it.’ But I didn’t know I was fueled by anger. And during the parts where Dida had to cry, I was crying, I was mourning for myself.”
Ndubi was talking about her role on the beloved Kenyan soap-opera which features complex themes around disability, wealth and African culture. It was a job that she took on when the world seemed to be crashing down around her.
She added: “And people were thinking, she’s such a good actress. I wasn’t acting. Every opportunity I got to let out my anger on set, I did. And so my therapy became the set. At the time, no one knew except from my Sultana team, and they were looking at me in admiration, and telling me that I strong.”
Not many people convert their pain into power, but that’s what Ndubi did, remaining brave against all odds.
The actress not only continued to work, but she was also in the process of filming a documentary about what she was going through- in the hopes of helping those facing the same struggles.
She said about documenting the experience: “That’s why I am creating a documentary film called ‘Scare The Scar.’ This film will follow my journey, as well as the journeys of other cancer patients to demystify the disease, educate the public and give hope to those who are battling it or caring for someone who is.”
Career
Winfred Bwire Ndubi reflected on her career in a 2022 interview with Buzz Central, where she broke it down to two major milestones.
“I have two projects that I would say were my biggest breakthroughs and this is in light of me and where the audience is concerned. So where the audience is concerned I would go with Sultana– because with local TV comes great coverage. People underestimate the power of local TV stations.”
She added: “But as an actor and from my own perspective, I feel like there was a very big project that I was involved in, actually the French version of James Bond. I had a really minor role but to me, that’s the highest I’ve ever been- I’ve been in an international film y’all! Most people don’t know that.”
The actress gushed about her role on Sultana, and how it brought her out of her element and tested her acting limits.
“She is very different from who Winnie is,” she said of her antagonistic character, Dida.
The actress added: “Some of the things I find them challenging to execute, but that’s what makes a good actor at the end of the day. I have enjoyed playing Dida. She is a lovely character but the events in the story are driving the claws out of her- so you get to experience different sides to this girl.”
Ndubi’s career took off in the early 2010s, when she got cast in multiple projects including KTN’s Kalimani Dynasty, Maisha Magic East’s Kisasa, Tehanini, and Netflix’s Mvera.
Saying goodbye
Bwire Ndubi’s family announced through a statement that she unfortunately passed away on September 5 while undergoing treatment in Turkey.
“It is with heavy hearts and humble acceptance of God’s will that we announce [Winfren Bwire Ndubi] lost her battle to cancer,” the statement read in part.
It added: “We thank you all for your overwhelming support, prayers and generous giving during her treatment.”
Just weeks ago, a video of Bwire appealing for financial support to cover treatment made its rounds on social media, and fans and well-wishers were devastated by the impact the ailment she had had on her.
