Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old born in Uganda, has been elected as the new mayor of New York City after a campaign focused on inequality, corruption, and lowering the cost of living. His progressive message drew the highest voter turnout since 1969 in the city.
Joseph Beyanga, who worked with Mamdani when he was a teenage intern at Uganda’s Daily Monitor, recalled his strong curiosity about how news stories affected ordinary people. “He was always interested in how the big picture affects the everyday person,” Beyanga said.
Zohran Mamdani, the newly elected mayor of New York City, was born in Kampala, Uganda, and can speak fluent Luganda. Uganda should be proud.
pic.twitter.com/RUCuL656Ii— Lucky Munah🧕💜 (@MunahLucky) November 5, 2025
Mamdani, the son of Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani and Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair, spent his childhood in Kampala’s Buziga neighborhood. Despite growing up in a privileged environment, colleagues said he lived simply, often eating local food and using motorbike taxis.
Joseph Beyanga, former mentor to Zohran Mamdani, praises his rise in New York politics, recalling Mamdani’s keen interest in political discussions during his 2007 internship pic.twitter.com/oAqCZh7GnP
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 6, 2025
His mentors said Mamdani showed deep concern for social and economic justice from an early age. He questioned corruption, inequality, and foreign aid systems that he saw as unfair. Hannington Muhumuza, a Ugandan producer who worked with him on Queen of Katwe, said Mamdani understood life in Uganda’s ghettos and wanted to uplift people. His early experiences shaped the progressive ideals that guided his successful mayoral campaign.
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