This article makes a theoretical comparative examination of citizen-driven approaches in the fight against corruption in Uganda's and South Africa's local government systems. These countries are compared on the basis that they are both democratic countries, their constitutions were enacted at around the same time and both countries started their decentralisation programmes at about the same time. Corruption is possibly one of the most serious impediments to effective service delivery. Seeking better ways to combat it is an urgent necessity. Citizen demonstrations have become a recent phenomenon in both Uganda and South Africa, plainly signifying citizen displeasure with government delivery. Because citizens have lost faith in the ability of formal institutions of government to fight corruption, they resort to what we call 'noise-based' opposition to corruption. With the recent citizen uprisings in North Africa to brin