District leaders need to emphasise transparency and accountability in all government programmes to boost government support at grassroot level.

The Youth and Children Affairs State Minister, Maj. James William Kinobe, told Luweero District leaders at the launch of the district livelihood support programme on Monday that the government has mobilised resources to fund different projects in local governments but that lack of transparency and accountability has betrayed most projects

The district livelihood support programme is a new International Fund for Agricultural Development funded programmes meant to mobilise community savings, boost agriculture and land management, including access roads and water infrastructure in the district.

Dr Jolly Ziribwende, the National programme coordinator for the DLSP project ,said the project includes a start-up package for the districts to carry out a feasibility study on household incomes to identify needy families.

She said 13 districts were selected to benefit from the programme, including Yumbe, Apach, Oyam, Bundibugyo, Buliisa, Masindi, Kyenjojo, Luweero, Nakaseke, Kamwenge, Busia, Bugiri and Mayuge.

Luweero District has already received Shs127 million as a startup package for the project. District Planner Charles Mukasa said Luweero is to carry out a baseline survey to establish the project's goals which include enabling rural communities to access basic necessities of life which are food, shelter, clothing health care and education.

He said the selection of districts was based on primary healthcare coverage, poverty incidence, newness of the district, capacity to implement and lack of other donor funding.