Seed is an essential, strategic, and relatively inexpensive input with a high rate of return to investment that often sets the upper limit for maize production and stability. Lack of quality seed of improved varieties limits maize production. Lack of seed is attributed to ineffective seed production and distribution systems for resource poor smallholder farmers. The formal sector, consisting of private and public seed enterprises, is better developed in Kenya than in Uganda, but mainly caters to wealthier farmers. The informal sector including NGOs, NARS, and community based seed efforts, has great potential to supply seed for resource poor farmers but is underdeveloped for various reasons. Numerous strategies have been proposed to more adequately supply seed to farmers.  This paper reports on a seed project started in 2000 with the principal objective to develop sustainable maize production systems.  Activities of the project include: 1) to improve the capacity of NARS to produce breeder and basic seed of improved maize varieties; 2) expose farmers to improved maize varieties through extensive on-farm variety testing using the mother and baby trial approach; 3) allow farmers to evaluate and select suitable varieties for the their conditions; 4) develop effective seed production and distribution systems among farming communities in collaboration with appropriate public institutions and private seed companies. Breeders’ seed production has been enhanced.  Results of multi-location trials and farmer evaluations from the nearly 200 mother and baby trials in six districts in western Kenya and two districts in Uganda indicated that the approach greatly enhanced farmers’ knowledge base and generates information that compliments the efforts by breeders to develop well-adapted and acceptable maize varieties. Experiences with farmer associations (mainly women groups) have showed that farmers can produce good quality seeds if offered training and assured of markets for their seeds. Development of farmer associations producing seeds is going on in Northern Uganda and western Kenya where these are less developed than in Eastern Uganda.  This paper discusses the various strategies employed by the project and includes an assessment of progress made in developing the seed production systems.