Uganda has recently embraced a decentralised system of governance with the main goal of approaching citizens to participatory decision‐making processes and improving efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery, as well as fighting poverty and exclusion. Despite a number of important government programmes, policies and structures, a significant number of people in Uganda still remain poor and many still live below the poverty line. There is a high degree of powerlessness and voicelessness that negatively influences the level of organisation for collective action. In the districts of Jinja and Lira, the Pressure From Below experience has been led by a grass roots organisation engaging with government and non‐government institutions to influence citizens at the local level to voice their concerns and participate in joint community improvement initiatives.