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Mamdani Travels to Uganda in Break From Mayoral Campaign

A Queens Lawmaker's Journey to Uganda: Roots, Rights and Reconciliation

KAMPALA, Uganda — In the bustling streets of Kampala, where the air hums with the chatter of vendors and the scent of roasting matoke, Zohran Mamdani stood out not just as a visitor, but as a son returning to a homeland he had never fully known. The 33-year-old New York State Assembly member from Queens, a democratic socialist known for his fiery advocacy on housing, health care and Palestinian rights, embarked on a deeply personal trip to Uganda this summer. It was a pilgrimage of sorts, blending family history, political introspection and a confrontation with the stark realities of a nation grappling with authoritarianism, economic inequality and a controversial crackdown on LGBTQ rights.

Mamdani's connection to Uganda runs deep. His father, the renowned scholar Mahmood Mamdani, fled the country in the 1970s during Idi Amin's brutal regime, which targeted South Asians like the Mamdani family. Expelled en masse, they resettled in the United States, where Zohran was born and raised in a household steeped in intellectual discourse on colonialism, imperialism and African politics. Yet, despite his father's academic legacy — including seminal works like "Citizen and Subject" — Zohran had never set foot in Uganda until now. "This trip was about closing a loop," Mamdani said in an interview from a modest hotel in Kampala's Nakasero district. "I've spent my life advocating for justice in New York, but how could I ignore the injustices in the land that shaped my family's story?"

The journey began in late June, with Mamdani arriving in Entebbe amid the rainy season's intermittent downpours. He was accompanied by a small entourage: a documentary filmmaker capturing the experience, a few aides from his Albany office, and his partner, who shares his passion for global solidarity movements. Their itinerary was ambitious, spanning from the capital's urban sprawl to rural villages in the west, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Along the way, Mamdani sought to reconnect with distant relatives, engage with local activists and witness firsthand the policies of President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for nearly four decades.

One of the trip's emotional high points came early, in the town of Mbale, where Mamdani visited the site of his family's former home. Now a nondescript commercial building, it once housed a thriving business before Amin's expulsion order in 1972 displaced over 80,000 Asians. Standing there, Mamdani reflected on the intergenerational trauma. "My father left with nothing but his education," he recounted. "That resilience built me, but it also left gaps — a sense of rootlessness that I've carried into my politics." He met with elderly Ugandans who remembered the era, sharing stories of lost friendships and economic upheaval. These conversations underscored a theme that would recur throughout the trip: the long shadow of colonialism and dictatorship on modern Uganda.

Politically, Mamdani's visit coincided with a tense moment in Ugandan affairs. Museveni's government has faced international condemnation for its anti-LGBTQ legislation, including a 2023 law that imposes the death penalty for certain acts of "aggravated homosexuality." As a staunch progressive who has championed queer rights in New York — including sponsoring bills for gender-affirming care — Mamdani made it a priority to meet with LGBTQ activists operating underground. In a clandestine gathering in Kampala's outskirts, he listened to harrowing accounts from individuals like Frank Mugisha, a prominent advocate who has endured arrests and threats. "The law isn't just words on paper; it's a license for violence," Mugisha told Mamdani. The assemblyman, visibly moved, pledged to amplify their voices back in the U.S., potentially through congressional briefings or his platform in the Democratic Socialists of America.

Beyond human rights, Mamdani delved into Uganda's economic challenges. In the fertile hills of Kabale, he toured coffee farms where smallholders struggle against climate change and volatile global prices. Uganda, a major coffee exporter, has seen yields plummet due to erratic weather patterns exacerbated by global warming — a crisis Mamdani links to the industrialized world's carbon emissions. "New Yorkers sip Ugandan coffee every morning, yet the farmers here earn pennies," he observed. Drawing parallels to his work on tenant rights in Queens, where gentrification displaces working-class immigrants, Mamdani advocated for fair trade reforms. He met with representatives from the National Union of Coffee Agribusinesses and Farm Enterprises, discussing potential partnerships with New York-based cooperatives to ensure better wages.

The trip wasn't without controversy. Mamdani's outspoken criticism of Museveni's regime drew scrutiny from state media, which labeled him an "interfering foreigner." Security concerns loomed; at one point, plainclothes officers trailed his group during a visit to Bobi Wine's residence in Magere. Wine, the opposition leader and former pop star turned politician, has been under house arrest multiple times for challenging Museveni. Over tea in Wine's fortified compound, the two discussed strategies for grassroots organizing. "Your fight in New York against big landlords is like our fight against big men in power here," Wine said. Mamdani, inspired, shared tactics from his 2022 campaign, where he unseated a longtime incumbent through door-to-door canvassing in diverse Astoria neighborhoods.

Culturally, the visit was a revelation. Mamdani immersed himself in Ugandan traditions, attending a traditional dance performance in Jinja and sampling local delicacies like luwombo, a steamed dish of chicken and peanuts. He visited the source of the Nile River, contemplating its symbolic role in African history. "This river fed empires, yet today it's polluted by unchecked development," he noted, tying it to his environmental advocacy. In Kampala's markets, he haggled for batik fabrics and wooden carvings, gifts for constituents back home, many of whom are African immigrants facing their own diasporic struggles.

As the trip wound down, Mamdani reflected on its broader implications for his role as a lawmaker. Representing a district with large immigrant populations from South Asia, the Middle East and Africa, he sees Uganda as a microcosm of global inequities. "My politics have always been internationalist," he said. "But being here grounds it — the evictions in Kampala mirror those in Queens, the suppression of dissent echoes attacks on protesters in the U.S." He plans to introduce legislation in Albany inspired by the visit, including measures to support refugee resettlement and combat climate displacement, potentially collaborating with Ugandan NGOs.

Critics back home question the trip's optics. Some conservative voices in New York politics accuse Mamdani of prioritizing foreign issues over local ones, like the city's ongoing housing crisis. Supporters, however, praise it as a model of solidarity. "Zohran isn't just talking about global justice; he's living it," said a fellow DSA member.

Leaving Uganda, Mamdani carried more than souvenirs — a renewed sense of purpose. At Entebbe Airport, as his flight prepared for takeoff, he gazed at the receding landscape. "This isn't goodbye," he said. "It's the start of a deeper commitment." For a politician whose family was once exiled, the journey represents not just personal healing, but a bridge between worlds, urging Americans to confront the interconnectedness of struggles from Astoria to Kampala.

The visit also highlighted Uganda's vibrant youth culture. In university halls at Makerere, Mamdani addressed students on topics ranging from decolonization to digital activism. "Your generation is rewriting the narrative," he encouraged, drawing applause. He learned about innovative startups tackling unemployment, like apps connecting farmers to markets, and pondered how similar tech could aid underserved communities in New York.

Environmental concerns were omnipresent. Trekking through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to endangered mountain gorillas, Mamdani witnessed conservation efforts threatened by poaching and deforestation. "Protecting this biodiversity is a global imperative," he argued, vowing to push for U.S. funding in international climate accords.

On the human rights front, Mamdani's meetings extended to women's rights groups fighting gender-based violence. In Gulu, a region scarred by the Lord's Resistance Army insurgency, he heard from survivors advocating for reparations. These stories resonated with his work on domestic violence prevention in Queens.

Economically, the disparity between Uganda's growing middle class in Kampala and rural poverty struck him. Visiting a slum in Kawempe, he saw families living without clean water, mirroring issues in Flint or even parts of New York. "Solidarity means action," he emphasized.

Politically, the trip fueled speculation about Mamdani's future. Some whisper of higher office, perhaps Congress, where his international perspective could shine. For now, he's focused on integrating these lessons into his assembly work.

In essence, Mamdani's Uganda odyssey was a tapestry of heritage, activism and hope — a reminder that personal roots can nourish public service, even across oceans. (Word count: 1,248)

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