Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among Speaker 12th Parliament come rain or sun
Speaker Anita Among is at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala today (March 19, 2026), where she presided over the launch of the Africa Pastoralist Women’s Charter. She commended the government's support for pastoralists and emphasized the role of women in land management, according to her posts on X.
https://youtube.com/shorts/ouEkUd0BrEo?si=CUUMk78e_VxOOpRD
Speaker: It is with great honour and gratitude that I preside over both the closing of this historic gathering and the official launch of the African Rangelands and Pastoralists Women Charter at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala. Oftentimes, discussions of rangelands and pastoralism in Africa focus mainly on men, yet the story is incomplete without women. I therefore commend the organisers of this gathering for highlighting the central indivisible role of women in pastoralism through this conference. Any discussion about highlighting and improving the plight and condition of pastoralists and the state of rangelands in Africa must recognise the contribution and importance of women in the struggle for sustainable livelihoods among pastoral communities. I bring you fraternal greetings from the President of the Republic of Uganda, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who has blessed this gathering and expressed his full support. I appreciate the Government of Uganda for creating a conducive environment for pastoralism to thrive by instituting good policies, laws and regulatory frameworks that govern pastoralism and rangelands. For example, pastoralism is provided for in the National Land Policy, the National Climate Change Act 2021, and many other laws. I further thank the President of Uganda for ensuring peace in rangelands, for example, the disarmament process in the Karamoja sub-region and transboundary collaboration with Kenya to combat cross-border livestock raids. Today, unlike previous years, incidences of livestock theft have significantly reduced, while various government-led interventions are underway to diversify household livelihoods through irrigation and skilling. The gathering is such an important event that seeks to strengthen the voices of female pastoralists and to ensure their views and perspectives are included in all decisions that impact them. The African Pastoralists Women Gathering is aligned with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026). I want to inform you that I am a Pastoralist Woman myself. I have cattle, so the issues of pastoralist women are pertinent to me. I am glad that the gathering has attracted over 200 participants from the Northern and Sub-Saharan, West and Central, Eastern and Southern regions of Africa, representing Grassroots Pastoralist women, Leaders, Government officials, and Civil Society Organisations committed to advancing gender justice, climate resilience, and equitable land governance across Africa. The future of Africa requires such unity in the spirit of “Ubuntu” (I am because we are). I therefore recognise the participation of representatives from Benin, Cameroon, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. I appreciate and applaud partners and funders who have contributed to the success of this gathering. These include: GIZ, NIATERO, ACC, FAO, ILC, NLC Uganda, Reconcile, Impact Kenya, WHH and many more. Uganda has a total area of 241,038 sq. km, and 44% (84,000 sq km) of this is covered by rangelands. The rangelands are home to a population of over 6.6 million. The term rangelands is used in a broad sense to cover natural grassland, bushland and woodland. This land forms what has been called the “Cattle Corridor”. The rangelands are concentrated in the ‘Cattle Corridor’, stretching from the north-eastern border with Kenya and South Sudan to the south-western border with Tanzania. The rangelands are spread over several districts, with proportional coverage ranging from complete coverage (100%) in Moroto, Kotido, Soroti, to over 60% in Kiboga, Mubende, Nakasongola, Sembabule, Mbarara and Ntungamo, to very low levels in Kabarole and Mbale.https://youtube.com/shorts/ouEkUd0BrEo?si=CUUMk78e_VxOOpRD
