According to The New Vision, Dr Kyobuguzi, an officer at the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) secretariat, said beneficiaries would also be given feeds, vaccines and advisory services.

“We started with Rubaga division and Kampala central but in the subsequent weeks, we intend to roll out the programme in the remaining divisions,” said Dr Kyobuguzi.

Handing over the chicks to beneficiary farmers from Kampala central at Bat Valley Primary School recently, Kyobuguzi, disclosed that so far 10,000 chicks had been distributed to farmers in the two divisions.

“The remaining 30,000 will be distributed before the closure of this financial year,” Dr Kyobuguzi assured farmers.

The programme titled, “NAADS intervention in promoting peri-urban farming among youth and women in Kampala” will cost sh200m.

Kyobuguzi said for each broiler chick, a farmer would be given 5kgs of feeds. This means 1.5kgs of broiler starter and 3.5kgs of broiler finisher.

Moses Byaruhanga, the presidential political assistant and the Kampala deputy resident commissioner, Nalongo Kilabira, handed over the chicks to the beneficiaries in Kampala central.

Mr Byaruhanga assured the beneficiaries that more funds would be earmarked to ensure sustainability of the programme next financial year.

He, however, cautioned the beneficiaries not to mix the programme with politics. “This is a development programme; it should not be mixed with politics,” he warned.