Mary Karooro Okurut: An Enduring Legacy of Literary Excellence and Thought Leadership in Action

By Paul Mwirigi Muriungi

One of Uganda’s most distinguished writers and a beacon of thought leadership through words and action has peacefully rested, her life tragically cut short by injuries sustained in a road crash in Nebbi district last month.

Thought leadership pieces are crafted to provoke reflection, remind us of core values, and recalibrate our perspectives. Few voices have achieved this as profoundly as that of the late Mary Karooro Okurut, whose passing on August 11, 2025, at the age of 70, leaves a void in Uganda’s literary, journalistic and political spheres.

Her passing brings back painful memories of other giants from the communications industry who have left us including John Nagenda, Tamale Mirundi, Onapito Ekomoloit and Dr. Brian Semujju, whose legacies continue to inspire Uganda’s narrative landscape.

As a young PR professional starting my career in 2008, I was captivated by her regular columns in The New Vision, where she blended literary finesse with socio-political analysis and often signed off her bylines with the moniker ‘a literary and socio-political analyst’. Her ability to articulate complex ideas with clarity and coherence stood out, a rare skill in an era dominated by fleeting social media posts and misinformation; indeed, a literary and socio-political analyst.

As a literary and socio-political analyst, the late Mary Karooro Okurut often examined the intersection of literature and society, exploring how texts reflected, shaped, and critiqued social and political realities. She often utilised various theoretical frameworks to understand the complex relationship between literature, power, and social structures while  analysing how literary works engaged with issues like identity, oppression, resistance, and globalisation. 

Okurut’s journey was a tapestry of diverse experiences, rooted in her deep love for writing, which she wielded as both an art and a tool for change. Born on December 8, 1954, in Bushenyi District, she excelled at Makerere University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Literature (1977), a Master of Arts (1981), and a Diploma in Education (1982).

As a lecturer in Makerere’s Literature Department for over a decade, she nurtured a generation of writers, laying the groundwork for her later roles. Her transition to public service began as press secretary to the Vice-President (1994–1996) and President Yoweri Museveni (1999–2004), where she honed her skill in crafting persuasive narratives.

Her political career was equally impactful. Elected Member of Parliament for Bushenyi District in 2004, she served until 2021, advocating for education and women’s rights. She held diverse Cabinet roles: Minister of Information and National Guidance, Gender, Labour and Social Development, National Security, and General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister; this demonstrated her versatility and leadership. Even after losing her seat, she continued as Senior Presidential Advisor on Public Relations, reflecting her lifelong commitment to the profession and the craft.

Okurut’s passion for writing was her defining legacy. As founder and first Chairperson of FEMRITE (Uganda Women Writers Association) in 1995 – earning the affectionate title “Mother Hen”, she empowered women writers like Monica Arac de Nyeko, a 2007 Caine Prize winner. Her works, including The Invisible Weevil (1998), The Official Wife (2003), and A Woman’s Voice (1998), explored identity, justice, and women’s lives with nuance.

Her other books included The Adventurous Sisters (1994), The Curse of the Sacred Cow (1994), The Man Who Ate His Eye published (2002) and Kahiigi the Great Hunter (2005).

One of her strongest works, was the 211 page book – The Switch (2018) – a gripping thriller that addresses the severe and lifelong consequences of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Uganda. The book centers on Chelimo, a Sabiny girl from Kapchorwa who undergoes circumcision at age 12 and rises to become a Cabinet minister, weaving a narrative of triumph amid adversity. It highlights the silent agony faced by women in communities practicing FGM, including intense pain during the procedure, infections, urinary tract issues, painful intercourse, and childbirth complications, often leading to death.

It is well documented that proceeds from her books were donated to FEMRITE to support emerging female writers. During FEMRITE’s 20th anniversary in July 2018, as Minister of General Duties, she lamented the decline in reading among Ugandans, warning that social media was exacerbating this trend. “With people glued to their mobile phones, the role of books will not be recognised anymore; people are actually losing actual literature,” she said, urging the Government to integrate indigenous books into school curricula to honour writers as “cultural ambassadors.”

Her writing stood out for its coherence, a rarity today amid fragmented digital discourse and a skill that carried into her political advocacy. Okurut’s writing was also transformative. Through FEMRITE, she challenged norms, promoting gender equality, and in her later years, she explored scaling women’s businesses in Bushenyi. Her ability to weave literary insight with practical action set her apart. In a world where misinformation thrives, her legacy calls us to revive articulate expression through writing.

As PRAU Patron from May 2011 to May 2013, members will fondly recall how the late Mary Karooro Okurut engaged with us as equals, recognising our shared battleground as a fellow soldier in the ongoing war to express, demonstrate, and prove the strategic value of public relations to brands and businesses, she understood our fight for boardroom relevance. As a writer and communications professional, she appreciated that our work was strategically essential yet challenging, relevant yet often undervalued, and deserved greater reverence rather than being relegated to crisis or event management.

Her unwavering support for the communications profession was profound: in 2013, she served as the Guest of Honour at the fourth edition of the PRAU Excellence Awards, lending her prestige to the event, and in 2016, she was honoured with the PRAU Golden Honours Award for her significant contributions to advancing public relations in Uganda.

The PRAU Golden Honours Award is the Association’s highest individual and lifetime achievement accolade, bestowed upon a public relations practitioner whose accomplishments have made a major impact on the profession, inspired fellow practitioners both professionally and personally, enhanced the common good, and brought credit to the Association. This prestigious award is not contestable and is granted at the discretion of the governing council’s committee, which nominates and endorses candidates.

I believe the PRAU Bill, currently awaiting tabling in Parliament to regulate the public relations industry, should be fast-tracked in her honour; when this legislation is passed, I am confident she will be smiling from heaven, looking down with pride.

As Uganda mourns, her family, students, literary circles, and colleagues left behind will always remember Okurut’s life that has left an indelible mark that reminds us of the power of well-crafted words in shaping a better future.

The writer is a strategic communications practitioner, Head of Strategy at COG EA Ltd and a former PRAU Vice President (2022/2023 to 2024-2025).