By Aggrey Baba
Uganda is mourning the loss of one of its most accomplished daughters, Mary Karooro Okurut, a former minister, celebrated writer, and beloved literature teacher, whose voice fell silent on Monday night at the age of 70.
Her death, following a serious road accident just weeks ago, has not only robbed the country of a seasoned leader but also ended her bid to return to Parliament as the NRM candidate for the Western region’s elderly persons’ seat.
Karooro passed away at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, where she had been receiving treatment, having been airlifted there from Nakasero Hospital in Kampala after sustaining a broken pelvic bone and other injuries in a late-July crash while returning from a consultative visit in Nebbi District.
Born on 8 December 1954 in Bushenyi District (Western Uganda), Karooro attended Bweranyangi Girls’ and Trinity College Nabbingo before joining Makerere University, where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Literature, plus a diploma in education. She taught literature at Makerere University from 1981 to 1993, mentoring many who would later rise to top positions.
She moved into public service as Vice-President’s press secretary in the mid-1990s, then became a commissioner at the Education Service Commission. In 1999, she was appointed Presidential Press Secretary, a role she held until 2004.
Karooro entered elective politics as Bushenyi District Woman MP in the mid-2000s and was re-elected several times. She held several ministerial positions, including Minister of Information and National Guidance (2011–2013), Minister of Gender and Social Issues, Minister of National Security (2015–2016), and Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister from 2016.
In 2020, she lost the NRM primaries to Annet Katusiime Mugisha (wife to national water and sewerage cooperation MD Dr. Silver Mugisha) who went on to win the Bushenyi Woman MP seat in 2021. Later that year, President YK Museveni appointed her as his advisor on Public Relations, a role she held until her pen ran out of ink.
Outside politics, Karooro was a celebrated writer and founding member of the Uganda Women Writers Association (FEMRITE). Her works include The Invisible Weevil and The Official Wife. She also wrote many poems and ran a weekly column in the New Vision. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was a key face of government fundraising efforts, mobilising donations for the national response.
Tributes described her as a mentor, patriot, and friend, with State Minister Margaret Muhanga calling her “my teacher, my mentor, my very close buddy,” while other leaders and journalists remembered her generosity, humility, and dedication.
She was widowed in 2014 after the death of her husband, former minister Stanislaus Okurut. Karooro leaves behind a legacy that blends public service, literature, and education, and a gap in both political and cultural spaces. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
