Speaker Anita Among Calls for Nationwide Tree Planting in Honor of Late NEMA Director Dr. Tom Okurut

Speaker Anita Among paid tribute to Dr. Tom Okurut, the former Executive Director of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), who passed away after undergoing brain surgery at Platinum Hospital in Kampala last Sunday.

During a requiem mass held for Dr. Okurut at St. Luke Church of Uganda in Ntinda on Thursday, April 18, 2024, Speaker Among honored his memory by urging all Ugandans to plant at least five trees. She highlighted Dr. Okurut’s fervent advocacy for environmental conservation and his significant role in enforcing environmental regulations during his tenure at NEMA.

“Dr. Okurut was a passionate environmentalist who led by example, having planted more than 5,000 trees himself. His dedication to preserving our environment was profound,” Among said. She encouraged the attendees of the mass to embrace tree planting as a way to keep his legacy alive.

Reflecting on Dr. Okurut’s commitment, Among asked the congregation to promise to plant trees in his memory, emphasizing that this act would honor his lifelong mission and contribute to the environmental cause he so deeply cared about.

In her address, Speaker Among also offered words of comfort to Dr. Okurut’s family, reminding them to seek solace in God’s eternal love and care. “To the widow, take heart, God is the husband of widows and father of orphans; we just have to glorify God. So, as we mourn Dr Okurut, we want to remember his unwavering commitment to the environmental protection cause,” she added.

Dr. Okurut retired in July 2021 after leading NEMA for two consecutive five-year terms since 2011. He will be laid to rest this coming Saturday, April 20, 2024, in his home district of Kumi, at Akadot.