New York City mayoral frontrunner and Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani recently hosted a highly private and extravagant wedding celebration at his family’s hilltop estate in Buziga, Uganda. The three-day event, held outside the capital city of Kampala, was marked by tight security, a guest list of elite names, and mixed reactions from the local community.
While Mamdani and his bride, 27-year-old artist Rama Duwaji, eloped quietly in Dubai earlier this year, the celebration in Uganda was their official family gathering-held at the luxurious residence of Mamdani’s parents, acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and political theorist Mahmood Mamdani.
Fortress-like security and strict guest entry
Sources described the security presence at the event as exceptional, even by VIP standards. More than 20 special forces command unit guards, some wearing masks, were stationed across multiple gates, the New York Post reported. A phone-jamming system was reportedly deployed to ensure privacy. Guests arrived in Mercedes-Benz vehicles, Range Rovers, and buses, with checkpoints in place before entering the compound, which offers scenic views of Lake Victoria.
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“One gate alone had around nine guards,” noted a local resident. The property was decorated with tree canopy lights and featured fruit juice bars, music, and dancing. The groom addressed the guests himself, speaking over a microphone well past midnight, according to eyewitnesses.
A celebration amid mourning sparks local tension
While the wedding was a private affair, it stirred attention-and some criticism, from the local community. Just days before the celebration, former Ugandan Supreme Court Justice George Kanyeihamba, a neighbor of the Mamdani family, passed away. According to Ugandan mourning customs known as “Okukungubaga”, festivities are discouraged during mourning periods. “It was seen as culturally insensitive to throw a wedding celebration while the nation grieved,” a local said, adding that the judge had not yet been buried.
Even President Yoweri Museveni visited the area to pay his respects, briefly halting traffic with his motorcade, while the wedding convoy continued undeterred.
From Kampala to Queens
Born in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani moved to New York at the age of 7. He became a U.S. citizen in 2018, and now lives in a rent-stabilized apartment in Astoria with Rama Duwaji, whom he met on the dating app Hinge.
The 33-year-old Assemblyman has built a reputation as a progressive voice within New York politics, known for advocating for housing justice, workers’ rights, and immigration reform. His growing popularity has placed him on the national radar as a potential mayoral candidate, making his personal life-and wedding celebrations, a subject of public interest.
