• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Zohran Mamdani wedding:  Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayoral candidate and Indian-origin Democratic assembly official, is in the limelight after a lavish, three-day wedding ceremony at his family's luxurious estate in Uganda. The event, marked by military-level security, phone-jamming devices, and restricted guest access, was staged in Buziga Hill, a high-end Kampala neighborhood, and has received both interest and condemnation in Kampala and internationally.

Held at the two-acre Mamdani family compound overlooking Lake Victoria, the event featured elaborate decorations with Christmas lights strung across tree canopies, luxury cars including Mercedes-Benzes and a Range Rover, and a DJ entertaining guests late into the night. Mamdani, 33, celebrated his marriage to 27-year-old Syrian-born artist and animator Rama Duwaji, whom he met via the dating app Hinge. The couple previously held an engagement in Dubai, a civil ceremony in New York, and now the grand Ugandan finale with friends and family, including Mamdani’s filmmaker mother, Mira Nair, and father, renowned academic Mahmood Mamdani.

Who Is Zohran Mamdani?

Born in Kampala and brought up in New York from the age of seven, Mamdani was naturalised as a US citizen in 2018. The child of high-profile intellectuals, he serves as a member representing a Queens district in the New York State Assembly and has emerged as a progressive political figure. He and his wife now live in a rent-stabilised apartment in Astoria.

Over 20 Armed Guards And Phone Jamming System

Security for the event was said to be akin to a military operation, The New York Post reported. At least 20 special forces command unit guards, some of whom wore masks, were deployed around the property. There were nine guards posted at one gate alone, and a phone-jamming device had been installed, reportedly, to keep the event confidential and off the record. "Outside the Mamdani house were over 20 special forces command unit guards, and a phone-jamming system was installed,  and all for the invite-only Mamdani party," a local witness reported to The New York Post. By Friday, military-style tents were being dismantled, and personal security resumed standard duties at the estate gates.

ALSO READ: 'Civilised People Don’t Eat Like This': Congressman’s Remark On Zohran Mamdani Eating With Hands Triggers Racism Row | VIDEO

While the wedding bash captured the attention of many, it also sparked controversy among neighbours. The event coincided with a period of local mourning following the death of retired Ugandan Supreme Court Justice George Kanyeihamba, a nearby resident who passed away on July 14. President Yoweri Museveni visited the area to offer condolences, briefly closing off streets with his motorcade. Some residents felt Mamdani’s celebration was poorly timed.

ALSO READ: Who Is Zohran Mamdani, Indian-Origin Democrat Candidate Becomes New York City's First Muslim Mayor?

“Because of the culture here, it was insensitive to have a wedding celebration in the same week as mourning, or ‘Okukungubaga’  as it’s called here,” one resident told local media. “He has not even been buried yet, and people are gathering to mourn, while there is a loud celebration happening just minutes away,” he added. While the event remained under the radar for many Ugandans due to the estate’s secluded nature, critics online questioned the optics of a lavish international celebration during a time of political and social sensitivity both in Uganda and the U.S. Supporters say that the family was simply celebrating in their native country, and that much of the backlash is based on cultural misperceptions.