Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has stated that he was unaware of the anti-LGBT Ugandan politician he posed with in a controversial photograph — however, it has come to light that his father was acquainted with the politician for many years.
After facing criticism for the photograph featuring him and Ugandan Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga, Mamdani insisted it was merely a casual encounter at the airport in Uganda. This came after he was seen smiling next to an official who has been implicated in enforcing some of the globe’s most severe anti-LGBT laws.
Furthermore, records indicate that Mamdani’s father, Mahmood Mamdani, a professor at Columbia University, was named in a 2019 lawsuit that involved Kadaga when she held the position of speaker in the Ugandan Parliament.
A group of academics from Makerere University had filed a lawsuit against multiple individuals, including Mahmood Mamdani, who was also then the executive director of the Makerere Institute of Social Research, citing wrongful termination.
Various Ugandan news sources highlighted this connection, which was shared in a post on X by Jim Walden, a former independent mayoral candidate.
Reports also indicate that the professional ties between Kadaga and Mahmood Mamdani may extend back to 2011, with the Columbia academic reportedly commending Kadaga in a published article, praising her approach to discussions concerning the oil sector while she was a legislature.
Both Mamdani and Kadaga shared the stage as keynote speakers at a legislative assembly symposium earlier that same year.
Images of Zohran Mamdani, his father, and Kadaga — previously featured by The Post — incited anger among local politicians and LGBTQ activists. Despite Mamdani’s claim of being “unaware” of Kadaga’s role in creating the harsh anti-LGBT policies in Uganda when he agreed to take the photo.
“Here with Zohran Mamdani and Prof Mamdani as Zohran returns to New York after his traditional wedding in Kampala,” Kadaga joyfully remarked in a post featuring the photo.
The photograph was captured this summer in Uganda while the younger Mamdani celebrated his wedding at a family gathering in the country.
Zohran Mamdani was momentarily on pause from his campaign trail after securing victory in the June Democratic Party primary, where he surpassed former Governor Andrew Cuomo and several other Democrats through ranked-choice voting.
Cuomo is now running as an independent candidate against Mamdani, aiming to succeed current Mayor Eric Adams, who has opted out of the election and will vacate his position at the year’s end.
Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Zohran Mamdani, avoided questions regarding Mahmood Mamdani’s relationship with Kadaga but attributed Walden’s post on X to Cuomo’s campaign.
“Zohran has continuously expressed his outrage towards the anti-LGBTQ regulations of the Ugandan government, and unlike Andrew Cuomo, he has a concrete policy platform to truly support and protect LGBTQ residents in our city,” Pekec stated.
“This is merely another sad attempt at diversion from a campaign that is losing momentum and has long been out of innovative ideas,” she contended.
Cuomo criticized the self-described socialist during a Monday press conference regarding the photos and Mamdani’s dual citizenship with Uganda, his birthplace.
“Why would you maintain a citizenship with Uganda, a nation known for its persecution of the LGBTQ community? Why?” Cuomo questioned.
