Mary Karooro Okurut: Crash that led to death of Uganda's literary giant, ex-minister

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BUSHENYI

Bushenyi is mourning Mary Karooro Okurut, a prominent political leader, scholar and advocate for women’s empowerment, who passed on Monday, August 11, 2025, at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya.

Karooro, 70, suffered severe injuries in a road crash last month as she returned from a consultative meeting in Nebbi district, where she had declared her intention to contest for the position of National MP for the Elderly in Uganda’s Parliament. The crash left her with a broken pelvic bone.

She was initially treated at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala before being airlifted to Nairobi for specialised medical care. In a WhatsApp conversation with New Vision Online on July 14, 2025, Karooro revealed that “nerve pain was still persistent.”

Born on July 8, 1954, in Bwatogo cell, central division, Bushenyi-Ishaka municipality, Karooro attended Bweranyangi Junior School, Bweranyangi Girls’ Secondary School and Trinity College Nabbingo before enrolling at Makerere University, where she earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in literature. She later served as a lecturer at Makerere University.

Karooro served as Bushenyi District Woman Member of Parliament from 2003 to 2021, during which, she held several ministerial positions, including that of information, gender, security and general duties in the Office of the Prime Minister. She also chaired Uganda’s COVID-19 National Task Force.

At the time of her death, she was serving as senior presidential advisor on public relations and a New Vision columnist.

Deeply involved in community development

Beyond politics, Karooro was deeply involved in community development. She was in the process of building a multi-billion-shilling reusable sanitary pads factory in Bushenyi to promote women’s health and economic empowerment. Additionally, she established the Ntambiko Crafts Centre to foster tourism and preserve cultural heritage.

She also served as the chairperson of the Bweranyangi Girls’ Secondary School Old Girls Association and co-founder of FEMRITE, a literary organisation that has empowered countless Ugandan women writers. A Canon in the Church of Uganda, she balanced her spiritual and public service roles with dedication.

In a statement, Bushenyi District Woman MP Katusiime Annet Mugisha described Karooro as a distinguished leader whose zeal to serve all people regardless of background set an enduring example.

Mugisha, who succeeded Karooro in 2021, thanked her for laying a strong foundation for the district’s development and urged residents to emulate her spirit of service, thoughtful leadership, and collaboration.

West Ankole Anglican Diocese bishop Johnson Twinomujuni called Karooro “a remarkable daughter of the soil” whose life embodied wisdom, courage, and service.

He noted that her contributions as a scholar, author, and advocate for women’s empowerment, describing her as “a literary giant, a seasoned stateswoman, and a trailblazer whose light will not be dimmed.”

Peace Kansiime Tibigwisa, the co-ordinator for the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) for Greater Bushenyi, wrote in a WhatsApp group: “Dear Lord, strengthen our hearts in this trying moment. Strengthen my sister Annette Birora, Moreen, Aunt Kyomu and the rest. This pain is too hard to contain.”

Funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.