‘Beacon of hope’: Ugandans find inspiration in Mamdani’s win and ask if they can do the same
By RODNEY MUHUMUZA Associated Press KAMPALA Uganda AP The opposition leader in Ugandan Parliament sees the Ugandan-born Zohran Mamdani s supremacy in the New York mayoral race as an inspiring political shift but somehow too distant for multiple Africans at home It s a big encouragement even to us here in Uganda that it s feasible noted Joel Ssenyonyi who represents an area of the Ugandan capital of Kampala But we have a long way to get there Uganda where Mamdani was born in has had the same president for nearly four decades despite attempts by multiple opposition leaders to defeat him in elections President Yoweri Museveni an authoritarian who is up for reelection in January has rejected calls for his retirement leading to fears of a volatile political transition His majority prominent challenger is a -year-old entertainer known as Bobi Wine who charges he was cheated in the voting Mamdani was briefly raised in Uganda and kept its citizenship even after he became a naturalized U S citizen in He left Uganda to follow his father political theorist Mahmood Mamdani in South Africa and later the United States His mother is filmmaker Mira Nair whose work has been nominated for an Academy Award The family maintains a home in Kampala to which they regularly return and came earlier this year to celebrate Mamdani s marriage The influence of his professor father The elder Mamdani a professor at Columbia University is known as a demanding mentor and a key influence in the son s outlook as a leading scholar in the field of postcolonial studies He has written critically of the Museveni regime His largest part modern book Slow Poison published in October by Harvard University Press has juxtaposed the legacies of Museveni and late dictator Idi Amin who is blamed for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Ugandans between and He argues that both leaders made violence central to their success and that while Amin retained popular promotion and didn t die a millionaire Museveni s family is immensely wealthy while he s no longer popular Robert Kabushenga a retired media executive who is friendly with the Mamdani family revealed Zohran Mamdani like his parents is unconventional He follows a tradition of very honest and clear thinkers who are willing to reimagine the politics noted Kabushenga His father must be pleasantly surprised Ugandans see hope in more youth joining politics Mamdani s accomplishment in New York offers a beacon of hope for embattled activists and others in Uganda The lesson is that we should allow young people the opportunity to shape and participate in politics in a meaningful way Kabushenga announced Related Articles Israel returns bodies of Palestinians to Gaza as exchanges outlined in fragile ceasefire proceed In current times in History November Susan B Anthony defies law and casts vote for president Trump administration announces th deadly strike on an alleged drug boat Boeing may face its first civil trial over payouts to families of casualties in Ethiopia crash US proposes that the UN authorize a Gaza stabilization force for years Okello Ogwang a professor of literature who has worked with the elder Mamdani at Uganda s Makerere University revealed the son s success abroad means it s an fundamental thing that we should invest in the youth He s coming from here he explained If we don t invest in our youth we are wasting our time As a shy and soft-spoken teenager Mamdani was briefly interested in a workable career as a newsman and later was part the rap ensemble Young Cardamom and HAB whose eccentric music videos set in Kampala can still be viewed online Before he became a New York assembly member in the self-described democratic socialist was a group activist in the New York borough of Queens helping vulnerable homeowners facing eviction His mayoral campaign whose success in the Democratic primary sent a shockwave through the political world focused on lowering the cost of living promising free city buses free child care a rent freeze for people living in rent-stabilized apartments and government-run grocery stores all paid for with taxes on the wealthy Several Republicans have called for his denaturalization and deportation He breaks new ground explained Kabushenga He is willing to try in places that are new Ssenyonyi the Ugandan lawmaker revealed Mamdani s unlikely conquest as remote for Ugandans as it seems deserves to be celebrated It inspires us he disclosed Mamdani is Ugandan-born like us
