Mary Busingye Karooro Okurut was a Ugandan educator, author, politician, and women’s rights advocate whose work spanned literature, academia, and public service
Mary Busingye Karoro Okurut was born on 8 December 1954.
She was a Ugandan educator, author and politician. She held several ministerial positions in the NRM government, the latest being a Cabinet Minister in Charge of General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister. She was appointed to that position on 6 June 2016. Prior to that, from 1 March 2015 until 6 June 2016, she served as Cabinet Minister for National Security, a position she held since 1 March 2015.
Between 2012 and 2015, she served as the Minister of Gender and Social Issues in the Cabinet of Uganda. She was appointed to that position in 2012.
Mary Karoro Okurut also served as the elected Member of Parliament for Bushenyi District Women’s Constituency from 2006 to May 2021.
In the 2020 National resistance movement NRM party flag bearer elections, Karooro lost to Annet Katusiime Mugisha who was elected Bushenyi district woman member of parliament in the 2021 Uganda presidential and parliamentary elections.
Wikipedia says:
Mary Busingye Karooro Okurut (8 December 1954 – 11 August 2025[1]), more commonly known as Mary Karooro Okurut, was a Ugandan educator, author and politician. She was a Cabinet Minister in Charge of General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, in the Ugandan Cabinet. She was appointed to that position on 6 June 2016.[2] Prior to that, from 1 March 2015 until 6 June 2016, she served as Cabinet Minister for National Security. She was appointed to that position on 1 March 2015, replacing Wilson Muruli Mukasa, who was appointed Minister of Gender and Social Issues.[3] Between 2012 and 2015, she served as the Minister of Gender and Social Issues in the Cabinet of Uganda. She was appointed to that position in 2012. She replaced Syda Bumba, who resigned from Cabinet. Mary Karoro Okurut also served as the elected Member of Parliament for Bushenyi District Women’s Constituency.[4] In the 2020 National resistance movement NRM party flag bearer elections, Karooro lost to Annet Katusiime Mugisha who was elected Bushenyi district woman member of parliament in the 2021 Uganda presidential and parliamentary elections.[5][6][7][8][9]
Background and education
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She was born in Bushenyi District on 8 December 1954. She attended Bweranyangi Primary School and Bweranyangi Girls’ Senior Secondary School for her elementary and middle school education, in that order. In 1972, at the age of 18, she entered Trinity College Nabbingo to carry out her high school education. In 1974, she entered Makerere University, graduating in 1977 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Literature (BA.Lit). Three years later, in 1981, she graduated with the degree of Master of Arts in Literature (MA.Lit), also from Makerere University. In 1982, she added the Diploma in Education (Dip.Ed), from the same university.[10]
Work history
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Mary Karooro Okurut began lecturing at Makerere, in the Department of Literature in 1981, as soon as she completed her master’s degree. She maintained her status as Lecturer, until 1993. She took up employment as the press secretary to the vice-president of Uganda from 1994 until 1996. Between 1996 and 1999 she served as Commissioner, Education Service Commission in the Ugandan Ministry of Education. From 1999 until 2004, she served as the press secretary of the President of Uganda. In 2004 she entered elective Ugandan politics.[11] She served as the woman member of parliament representing Bushenyi District in Ugandan 10th parliament.[12]
Literary work
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Prior to her political career, Okurut was perhaps best known for her contributions to Ugandan literature both as a writer and as the founder of the Uganda Women Writers Association (FEMRITE),[13] an organisation which has since received international attention and has to date produced one winner of the Caine Prize, Arach Monica de Nyeko, whose story “Jambula Tree” won in 2007.[14]
Karooro Okurut’s literary publications include these novels: (a) “The Invisible Weevil” (1998) (ISBN 9789970901029) and (b) “The Official Wife” (ISBN 9789970024018). She also edited “A Woman’s Voice” (1998) (ISBN 9789970901036), a collection of short stories by Ugandan women writers.[15] she wrote “The Curse of The Sacred Cow”.[16]
Political career
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In 2004, Mary Karooro Okurut contested the Bushenyi District Women’s Constituency on the National Resistance Movement political party ticket. She won and represented that constituency in the Parliament of Uganda until her death. She served as Minister of Information and National Guidance from May 2011 until May 2013, when she was reassigned to her current docket.[17] In a cabinet reshuffle on 1 March 2015, she was appointed Security Minister.[3] As of April 2020, Karoro Okurut was the minister for general duties in the office of the prime minister[18]
Personal life
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Mary K. Okurut was married to Hon. Stanislaus Okurut until his death on the morning of 5 April 2014;[19] together they had eight children – five boys and three girls. She belonged to the Protestant faith.[20][21]
Karooro Okurut died at the age of 70 on 11 August 2025.[22]
See also
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References
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- ^ “Former minister Karooro Okurut is dead”. Monitor. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ Uganda State House (6 June 2016). “Museveni’s new cabinet list At 6 June 2016” (PDF). Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Uganda State House (1 March 2015). “Full Cabinet List As At 1 March 2015” (PDF). Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ “Parliament of Uganda”. www.parliament.go.ug. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ Reporter, NELSON MANDELA | PML Daily (4 September 2020). “CONFIRMED! Minister Karooro concedes defeat after being uprooted by Annet Mugisha”. PML Daily. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ “Long-serving ministers lose NRM primary polls”. Daily Monitor. 6 September 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ “Big winners, losers in NRM primaries”. Daily Monitor. 6 September 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ “BUSHENYI: Minister Karooro Defeated by Katusiime in NRM Primaries”. ChimpReports. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ “Ministers lose miserably as voters seek new blood in NRM primaries”. Nile Post. 5 September 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ “Mary Karooro Okurut: Woman Representative Bushenyi District”. Parliament of Uganda. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ “Mary Karooro Okurut: Work History 1981 to 2004”. Parliament of Uganda. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ “Hon. Mary Karooro Okurut – Kampala Geopolitics Conference”. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ “History of FEMRITE”. Uganda Women Writers’ Association. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- ^ “FEMRITE Achievements and Milestones”. Uganda Women Writers’ Association. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ “Books Authored or Edited by Mary Karooro Okurut”. African Books Collective. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ “Fountain Publishers: Book – The Curse of The Sacred Cow”. www.fountainpublishers.co.ug. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
- ^ “Mary B. Karooro Okurut”. Public Relations Association of Uganda (PRAU). Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ “Office of the prime minister General duties”. Office of the prime minister. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ “Minister Karooro Okurut’s husband mourned”. New Vision. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
- ^ Musisi, Frederic (5 April 2014). “Former Transport minister, Stanislaus Okurut Is Dead”. Daily Monitor. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ Karugaba, Mary (9 April 2014). “MPs Pay Tribute to Stanislaus Okurut”. New Vision. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ Former Minister Mary Karoro Okurut Dies at 70