Zohran Mamdani’s rise to power in New York is stirring excitement among many young Ugandans, who see his victory not just as an American political milestone, but as a powerful reminder of their own untapped potential. Though half a world away, the 34-year-old’s ascent is sparking conversations across Kampala and beyond about what a new generation of leadership could look like.
The opposition leader in Uganda’s Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, admits the win has resonated deeply. “It’s a big encouragement even to us here in Uganda that it’s possible,” said Ssenyonyi, who represents a district in Kampala. “But we have a long way to get there.” Uganda, where Mamdani was born in 1991, remains under the grip of President Yoweri Museveni, now in his fourth decade of rule and facing yet another election cycle. Despite rising calls for change, including a spirited but unsuccessful bid by musician-turned-politician Bobi Wine in 2021, Museveni has signaled no plans to retire.
Mamdani’s connection to Uganda is more than symbolic. His earliest years unfolded in the country before he followed his father, political scholar Mahmood Mamdani, to South Africa and eventually to the United States. He never relinquished his Ugandan citizenship, even after naturalizing as a U.S. citizen in 2018. His mother, the celebrated filmmaker Mira Nair, and father maintain a family home in Kampala, which they visit frequently.
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Mahmood Mamdani, now a professor at Columbia University, has been a longtime critic of Museveni’s leadership. His latest work, “Slow Poison,” released in October by Harvard University Press, draws stark historical parallels between Museveni and dictator Idi Amin. He argues that both men relied on violence for political survival, but diverged in legacy: Amin, despite brutality, never amassed wealth, while Museveni, now widely unpopular, has presided over a prosperous ruling family.
The family’s reputation for intellectual rigor and audacity appears to have influenced Zohran’s trajectory. “He follows a tradition of very honest and clear thinkers who are willing to reimagine the politics,” said Robert Kabushenga, a retired media executive and longtime friend of the Mamdani family in an AP report. Kabushenga believes Zohran’s success is especially meaningful for those working for change at home. Mamdani’s victory offers “a beacon of hope” for activists in Uganda, he said, underscoring the importance of allowing young people to shape politics. “(His father) must be pleasantly surprised.”
Okello Ogwang, a professor of literature who has worked with the elder Mamdani at Makerere University, agrees that Zohran’s win is a critical wake-up call. “It’s an important thing that we should invest in the youth,” said Ogwang. “He’s coming from here. If we don’t invest in our youth, we are wasting our time.”
Before stepping into public office, Zohran explored journalism and even dabbled in music, performing with the eclectic Kampala-based rap group Young Cardamom and HAB. By 2021, he had made history as a community-centered New York assembly member, championing tenants’ rights in Queens. His mayoral platform, which stunned the political establishment, included bold ideas like free public buses, municipal grocery stores, childcare support and a rent freeze for residents in stabilized apartments, all funded by higher taxes on wealthy residents. Some Republicans have gone so far as to call for his deportation.
Nonetheless, supporters in Uganda view his run as proof that different political ideas can gain ground when backed by courage and conviction. “He breaks new ground,” said Kabushenga. “He is willing to try in places that are new.”
Ssenyonyi, the opposition MP in Kampala, says the distance does little to diminish the significance. Mamdani’s story stands as an affirmation of possibility, especially for young Ugandans facing generational uncertainty. “It inspires us,” Ssenyonyi said. “Mamdani is Ugandan-born, like us.”
Zohran Mamdani now holds the title as the first Muslim and South Asian to lead New York as mayor. His work will officially begin in January 2026.
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