Hundreds gather to celebrate life of late Hon. Mary Karooro Okurut

15 August 2025, 4:56 pm

By Ronald Ssemagonja

Hundreds of mourners today gathered at All Saints Cathedral in Kampala to celebrate the life of the late Hon. Mary Lay Busingye Karooro Okurut, a distinguished leader who served Uganda in various capacities. Her career included roles as press secretary to the vice president from 1996 to 1999, senior press secretary to the president from 1999 to 2004, woman member of Parliament for Bushenyi from 2004 to 2016, minister of gender, labour and social development, minister of information and national guidance, minister for general duties, spokesperson for the National Resistance Movement, and senior presidential advisor on public relations, among others. The thanksgiving service was led by the Archbishop of Uganda, His Grace Steven Kazimba Mugalu, who thanked God for Okurut’s life and urged the congregation to always serve God.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, praised the late Okurut for diligently representing the people of greater Bushenyi district. “Very depressing about Hon. Mary Karooro Okurut’s death. This was at a time she had planned a comeback in the political arena. Hon. Karooro diligently represented us people of greater Bushenyi district in parliament. Her advocacy to empower the girl child, love for her motherland and loyalty to the NRM party will always be cherished. My heartfelt condolences go out to her family, the people of greater Bushenyi and the country at large,” he said.

Okurut was also celebrated for her contribution to literature as founder of the Uganda Women Writers Association, which created opportunities for countless women to share their stories, mentor others, and take their rightful place in the literary world. Her mentorship and advocacy shaped generations of writers and thinkers, leaving a lasting impact on Ugandan literature. Pastor Wilson Bugembe of the Worship House in Nansana described her as a God-fearing woman who valued prayer, saying she often attended church for personal prayers despite her high-profile position. He urged those present to serve God diligently, just as she did.

In 2016, Okurut was honoured with the title of Lay Canon in the Diocese of West Ankole in recognition of her deep faith and dedicated service to the church. She also represented the Mukaira Foundation on the council of Valley University of Science and Technology in Bushenyi, contributing to its growth and vision. Commissioner in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Winston Katushabe, remembered her as a hardworking leader committed to improving people’s lives.

Born on 12th July 1954 in Bushenyi to the late Earnest Karooro, a sub-county chief in Ankole, and the late Victo Kangyeya Karooro, she married Hon. Stanislas Okurut in 1983, a union that lasted 31 years until his passing in 2014. The couple raised their children together. Hon. Karooro Okurut passed away on 11th August 2025 at the age of 71 at Nairobi Hospital after a short illness. Her family expressed gratitude to the government for its support and to God for blessing them with a loving mother, grandmother, and friend. She will be laid to rest today in Bushenyi district.