This study investigated the influence of government economic empowerment programmes on food security in rural communities of Jinja District, Uganda. Food insecurity remains a persistent challenge in Uganda's rural areas despite numerous government interventions, necessitating an empirical examination of programme effectiveness. The study adopted a mixed methods research design involving 245 household survey respondents and 12 key informant interviews drawn from four sub-counties in Jinja District. Four major government programmes were examined: the Emyooga Initiative, the Parish Development Model (PDM), Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), and the Agricultural Credit Facility (ACF). The four pillars of food security, availability, access, utilisation, and stability served as the outcome variables. Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant positive relationships between programme participation and all four dimensions of food security. The regression model explained 57.3% of the variance in food security outcomes (R² = 0.573, F = 38.14, p < 0.001). The study concludes that government economic empowerment programmes have a moderately positive but uneven effect on food security in Jinja District, with the Parish Development Model demonstrating the strongest impact. Recommendations include improved targeting, enhanced agricultural extension services, and greater community participation in programme design.