Summary:
- Former NEMA Executive Director Dr. Tom Okurut has passed away. He served for a decade before being succeeded by Dr. Barirega Akankwasa.
Dr. Tom Okia Okurut, former Executive Director of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), has passed away. Dr. Okurut breathed his last on Sunday afternoon at Platinum Hospital, Nakasero, Kampala.
Dr. Okurut, who served as NEMA’s executive director for a decade from 2011, was succeeded by Dr. Barirega Akankwasa, the current executive director.
He was also the spouse of Dr. Anne Rose Ademun, the Commissioner of Animal Health at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries.
NEMA confirmed the sad news, stating, “We have just learned of the untimely passing of Dr. Tom Okia Okurut, who was the Executive Director of NEMA from 2011-2021.”
Dr. Okurut pursued his postgraduate studies at IHE Delft, the Netherlands, following his graduation from Makerere University. He was honored with the IHE Delft Alumni Award 2014 for his remarkable contributions to water management.
Prior to his tenure at NEMA, Dr. Okurut served as the inaugural executive secretary of the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, headquartered in Kisumu, Kenya, before returning to Uganda to lead NEMA.
