KAMPALA, Uganda — Ugandans are expressing immense pride and inspiration following the election of Zohran Mamdani as the new Mayor of New York. Mamdani, who holds dual Ugandan-American nationality and was born in Uganda, is widely claimed by many in the East African nation as “one of their own.”
The excitement surrounding the 34-year-old’s victory is particularly significant given Uganda’s young population, which boasts the second-lowest median age worldwide at just 16.2 years, according to the CIA World Factbook.
A legacy of activism and dedication
Zohran Mamdani is the son of Professor Mahmood Mamdani, a prominent Ugandan academic known for his anti-colonial scholarship, and Mira Nair, an acclaimed filmmaker.
Journalist Angelo Izama, who mentored the younger Mamdani during a teenage internship at a leading Ugandan newspaper, told the BBC’s Newsday programme that there was “a lot of excitement” in Uganda about the Mayor’s success, particularly due to his age.
Izama described the younger Mamdani as “initially shy” during their time working together but “absolutely determined to get things done.” He added that Zohran is “very fond of Kampala,” the Ugandan capital, which he frequently references.
Professor Mahmood Mamdani, who spent over a decade working at Makerere University, the country’s main and oldest institution, met his wife in Kampala while she was researching the film Mississippi Masala, which focused on the expulsion of Asians from Uganda under Idi Amin.
The Hope of a continent
The sense of pride extends to Uganda’s academic circles. Makerere University professor Okello Ogwang shared his elation over Zohran’s success, describing him as the “son of a colleague. This is somebody from home.”
“We have one of us there,” he told the BBC. “It gives me hope that the children we are raising are the hope of this world. As a continent… we are missing out on the greatest resource we have – the youth.”
Though many Ugandans were initially unaware of Zohran until his election, his victory has been heralded as proof that background is not a limit. Student Abno Collins Kuloba noted the high morale:
“It gives morale, especially to us as youths. Wherever you have grown up, be it poor or rich, you can become something big, like what [Mamdani] has done.”
Another student, Chemtai Zamzam, found personal inspiration, stating that Mamdani’s success “shows we can become anything we want as long as we put faith and determination.”
A Pan-African symbol
Mamdani’s win is also being celebrated across the African continent. Abdul Mohamed, an Ethiopian and former senior UN and African Union official, views Zohran’s success as symbolic and practical for young Africans. Having known Zohran since infancy, he believes the Mayor inherited his father’s “commitment to pan-Africanism,” his parents’ “courage to think freely,” and their belief that one can “belong everywhere.”
Mohamed highlighted the symbolic importance of his multi-ethnic identity:
“I think through him, [the] power and beauty of multi-ethnic, multi-religious identity found its voice. And Africa is by and large a multi-ethnic and a multi-religious society,” he said.
He urged young people to “organise and build political action” and “avoid despair and avoid pure anger,” using Mamdani’s career as a template for political engagement.
South African ties and progressive politics
The Mamdani family also spent approximately three years in Cape Town, South Africa, where Mahmood held the Chair of African Studies at the University of Cape Town in the 1990s, leading to pride among South African activists.
Dr. Rashied Omar, the Imam of Cape Town’s Claremont Road Mosque, called the victory a “remarkable achievement,” noting that Zohran’s “formative years were shaped, in small part, in our congregation,” where he began his Islamic education.
“It is inspiring to see how Zohran’s early South African experiences, though modest, made a lasting impression on his political consciousness and helped shape his creative, community-based approach to politics,” Dr Omar said.
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The left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), South Africa’s fourth-largest party, hailed the win as historic:
“His election represents not only a transformative moment for the people of New York but also a powerful signal to the world that progressive justice-driven leadership is rising even in the heart of the global capitalist order,” the party said in a statement.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, Pastor Okezie J Atañi welcomed the victory on X, stating that it proved Nigeria “cannot be threatened” by US President Donald Trump, whose “threats could not subdue” the 34-year-old Zohran. This comment was a direct response to recent threats by Trump to take military action against Islamist insurgents in Nigeria.
The celebrations serve as a powerful regional affirmation of the potential of the African diaspora, even as Uganda prepares for elections next year, where 81-year-old President Yoweri Museveni is seeking another term after nearly 40 years in power.
