Inside Zohran Mamdani’s Ultra-Private, Million-Dollar Ugandan Wedding Bash

By: Carl Schwartzbaum

Uganda’s lush Buziga Hill was the unlikely epicenter of political intrigue and opulence this past week, as New York City’s socialist mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani hosted a lavish three-day wedding celebration at his family’s secluded estate — a gathering that included masked security guards, military-style tents, and a cellphone-jamming system. The New York Post broke the details of the secretive affair, which combined high society revelry with tight-lipped discretion befitting a political figure under growing national scrutiny.

Mamdani, 33, who is running on a platform rooted in virulent antisemitism and democratic socialism, had previously revealed that he had eloped with illustrator Rama Duwaji, 27, in February. But it wasn’t until this week that the public learned of the grandeur with which the couple chose to celebrate their union — far from the rent-stabilized Astoria apartment they share in Queens, and deep within the gated hills of one of Uganda’s most affluent enclaves.

The New York Post reported that the Mamdani family estate sits on a verdant two-acre property in Buziga Hill, just outside the Ugandan capital of Kampala. Neighbors include the East African nation’s elite, such as billionaire Godfrey Kirumira, whose interests span real estate, infrastructure, and tourism. Properties in the area routinely exceed $1 million in value, and the Mamdani compound, with its panoramic views of Lake Victoria and multiple security gates, fits seamlessly into this rarefied setting.

Sources who spoke to The Post on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns said that the estate was transformed into a dazzling celebration venue strung with lights and thumping with music. The event was heavily guarded. At least 20 uniformed special forces, some masked, patrolled the perimeter, while several luxury vehicles, including Mercedes sedans and a Range Rover 4, were spotted entering the estate. One observer said there were as many as nine guards posted at a single gate, and that a sophisticated phone-jamming system had been deployed — a measure rarely seen at private functions.

Despite its extravagance, the event was officially off the radar. Locals told The New York Post that the Mamdani celebration coincided with a week of national mourning following the death of George Kanyeihamba, a former Supreme Court justice who lived just minutes from the estate. President Yoweri Museveni himself paid a visit to the late jurist’s home to offer condolences, an occasion that led to temporary street closures in the neighborhood. The contrast between mourning and festivity was not lost on residents.

“People are still in mourning,” one neighbor told The Post, adding that the local custom, known as okukungubaga, emphasizes community-wide reflection during the days leading to a burial. “He [Mamdani] has not even been buried, and we have his friends coming to give last words, yet Mamdani is celebrating his wedding for three days,” the source said.

Whether President Museveni attended Mamdani’s festivities remains unclear, but the visibility and resources deployed for the event have raised eyebrows — not just in Kampala, but across the Atlantic. Mamdani, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and political theorist Mahmood Mamdani, both of whom maintain residences in New York and New Delhi, has long emphasized his immigrant roots and working-class advocacy. Yet the dichotomy between those campaign themes and the luxury of his Ugandan celebration has prompted renewed scrutiny.

This is not the first time Mamdani’s background has been at odds with his political persona. A native of Kampala, he immigrated to New York at the age of 7 and only became a U.S. citizen in 2018. His parents’ wealth and global influence have shaped his upbringing — a stark contrast to the lived experience of many New Yorkers he now seeks to represent.

In his signature self-aware tone, Mamdani responded to news coverage of the event in a video posted on Instagram. Holding mock Post front pages with headlines such as “M.I.A.: MAMDANI IN AFRICA,” he joked, “Since you will undoubtedly read about this trip in The New York Post—Inshallah on the front page—here are a few of my humble suggestions for headlines.”

The revelry reportedly included traditional Indian fruit juices, a local DJ, and multiple after-midnight gatherings. According to witnesses quoted by The New York Post, the couple’s celebration culminated in a Friday wrap-up marked by the takedown of military-style tents and a handoff of security responsibilities to what appeared to be Mamdani’s personal detail. Floral arrangements were seen discarded near one of the entry gates — a symbolic footnote to the end of the festivities.

Yet even amid the high fences and floral arches, dissonance persisted. In nearby neighborhoods, residents focused not on the political ascension of one of their own but on survival. “For us, it’s just about survival. We’re just trying to win the bread and make sure our families are OK,” one local told The Post. Another added, “We had heard that Mamdani was going to be Mayor of New York… we want to know now if we can get free visas to the U.S. and to travel to New York like he did.”

Mamdani, who has built his political identity on solidarity with the marginalized and a strong critique of American capitalism, did not respond to The Post’s request for comment. He has, however, confirmed he will remain in Uganda until the end of the month — a timeline that may now come under fresh political scrutiny.

As Mamdani positions himself to become the first openly socialist mayor of New York City in generations, his international celebration raises questions about image, authenticity, and the complex interplay between public service and private privilege. The New York Post, which has chronicled Mamdani’s rise, noted that this is likely just the beginning of a broader examination of his political and personal narrative — one that spans continents and classes, and increasingly, headlines.