The news hit hard and quiet. No press conference, no trending hashtag campaign. Just a wave of shock across WhatsApp groups and phone calls between old colleagues: Sally Elizabeth Bwamimpeke is gone.
Sally, known to millions as “Jasmine” from the Prestige TV series and to radio listeners as Maama Kabina, passed away on May 15, 2026, in Toronto, Canada, after a battle with breast cancer. She had moved to Canada in 2024, but her voice and face never left Uganda.
Now, the focus is on one thing: bringing her home and giving her the farewell she deserves.
The Current Arrangements
A fundraising drive is underway to cover the costs of repatriating Sally’s body from Canada to Uganda. The target is $30,000. Friends and communities in both Canada and Uganda are mobilizing, and contributions are coming in from people who knew her personally and from fans who only knew her through the screen.
For those who wish to contribute directly, support is being channeled through mobile money to 0788 536635 – Namugalu Deborah.
A WhatsApp group has also been set up to keep friends, family, and colleagues updated on every step: flight confirmations, vigil dates, burial plans, and moments of remembrance. The group is serving as the central hub for information so that no one is left guessing.
The message from the family is simple: spread the word. Sally’s life touched many corners of Uganda’s creative industry, and they want everyone who was part of that circle to have a chance to say goodbye.
Who Sally Was to Uganda
If you watched Ugandan television in the 2010s, you knew Jasmine.
In Prestige, Sally played the role with a mix of sharp wit and vulnerability that made the character stick. She wasn’t background noise. When Jasmine spoke, people listened. That’s why the role became one of the most remembered in the series.
Before Prestige, Sally built her name on radio. At Beat FM, she was Maama Kabina, a presenter who could make listeners laugh during the morning rush and hold serious conversations when it mattered. She had a way of making the studio feel like a living room. You didn’t just hear her; you felt like you were talking to her.
Her work didn’t stop at radio and TV. Sally collaborated with some of the most respected names in Uganda’s film industry, including veteran actress and producer Mariam Ndagire. Those collaborations weren’t just jobs. They were mentorships, friendships, and proof that she was serious about craft, not just fame.
The Loss to the Arts Community
Breast cancer doesn’t just take a person. It takes the stories they were still going to tell.
Sally was in her prime as a storyteller. She had the rare ability to move between radio, where voice is everything, and television, where presence matters just as much. That’s not common. Most performers pick one lane. Sally owned both.
For younger actors and presenters coming up now, she was proof that you could be professional, passionate, and grounded. She showed up, delivered, and left the ego at the door. That’s why the grief feels personal, even for people who never met her.
Why Bringing Her Home Matters
To the ordinary Ugandan, a burial is more than a funeral. It’s closure.
It’s the night vigil where neighbors share stories, the procession where the community walks with the family, the moment the soil is turned and you know the person is finally at rest. Doing that in Canada would cut off hundreds of people who loved her from home.
For the elite in the industry, bringing Sally back is about dignity and legacy. It’s about saying that our artists matter enough to be repatriated, remembered, and honored here. It sets a standard for how we treat the people who shape our culture.
What Happens Next
Right now, the priority is raising the funds needed for repatriation. Once the body arrives, the family will announce the vigil and burial dates through the WhatsApp group and to close contacts.
Expect the usual rhythm of Ugandan farewells: a night of tributes from fellow actors, radio colleagues, and friends, followed by a church service and burial in her ancestral home.
What will make this farewell different is the mix of people who will show up. You’ll have veterans of the film industry sitting next to fans who grew up watching Jasmine. You’ll have radio listeners who only knew her voice. That’s Sally’s reach.
Remembering Her Beyond the Grief
Sally leaves behind children, family, and a body of work that won’t disappear because she’s gone.
Prestige reruns will still air. Old Beat FM clips will still circulate. Young actresses will still point to Jasmine as the role that made them want to act.
That’s the thing about people who live in stories. Death doesn’t erase them. It just changes how we meet them.
A Final Word
Sally Elizabeth Bwamimpeke didn’t need controversy to be remembered. She didn’t need scandal. She needed a microphone, a camera, and a script, and she delivered.
As the fundraising continues and plans fall into place, the call is clear: if Sally moved you, help bring her home. If you can’t give money, share the message. If you can’t do either, take a minute to remember what she gave you through her work.
Rest well, Jasmine. Rest well, Maama Kabina.
Uganda will say it properly when you’re home.
