By BigEyeUg Team
Mary Karooro Okurut, a celebrated political leader, scholar, and champion for women’s empowerment, has died at the age of 70. She passed away on Monday, August 11, 2025, at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya.
Karooro’s death follows severe injuries sustained in a road accident last month as she returned from a consultative meeting in Nebbi District, where she had announced her bid 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 admitted to Nakasero Hospital in Kampala before being airlifted to Nairobi for specialized treatment.
Born on July 8, 1954, in Bwatogo cell, central division, Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, Karooro pursued her early education at Bweranyangi Junior School and Bweranyangi Girls’ Secondary School before joining Trinity College Nabbingo.
She later attended Makerere University, where she obtained both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in literature, and went on to lecture at the same institution.
Her political career began in 2003 when she was elected Bushenyi District Woman Member of Parliament, a position she held until 2021. Over the years, she served in several ministerial roles, including Minister of Information, Minister of Gender, Minister of Security, and Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister. She also chaired Uganda’s COVID-19 National Task Force during the pandemic.
At the time of her passing, Karooro was serving as the Senior Presidential Advisor on Public Relations.