Zohran Mamdani, the Muslim communist candidate for the mayoralty of New York, is once again at the center of controversy after photos circulated showing him smiling alongside Rebecca Kadaga, an official and former president of the Ugandan Parliament, known for promoting laws that punished homosexuality with the death penalty.
The meeting took place in July, during a break from Mamdani's election campaign, following his victory in the Democratic primaries. In the image, Mamdani displays a broad smile while Kadaga, in the caption, describes him as the "next mayor of New York City" and wishes him luck in the next electoral phase.
The photo caused strong criticism, especially considering Kadaga's record on human rights and her role in enacting laws that harshly persecuted homosexuals in that country.
The Anti-Homosexuality Law
The 2014 Anti-Homosexuality Law, promoted by Kadaga, punished consensual sexual relations between people of the same sex with sentences of up to life imprisonment, while first-time offenders could face up to 14 years in prison.
The original bill even contemplated the death penalty for cases of "aggravated homosexuality", which included repeated acts between people of the same sex, as well as relations with minors under 18 years old, people over 75, or people with disabilities. Although the death penalty was eliminated after international pressure, the law itself was only annulled by the Constitutional Court of Uganda due to procedural flaws, not because of its repressive content.
However, in May 2023, a new, even stricter law was enacted, known as the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Law, which has been in force since the ratification by the Constitutional Court in April 2024.
This regulation toughens existing sanctions, includes the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality", and criminalizes self-identification as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Mamdani's closeness to a figure linked to these policies raised questions about his support for the LGBT community, which he uses to promote his election campaign.
This controversy adds to a history of criticism toward Mamdani for his far-left ideology and his dangerous government proposals, which represent a high economic risk for New York. Among his most controversial initiatives are freezing rents, free public transportation, and massive spending on social programs, all financed by a brutal increase in taxes.
