New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism after photos resurfaced showing him smiling alongside a Ugandan political figure who once backed the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, as reported [1] by Fox News.
The controversy drew a sharp response from former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who questioned Mamdani’s judgment and commitment to equality.
The photos, first reported by The New York Post, show Mamdani posing with Rebecca Kadaga, Uganda’s former parliamentary speaker and current first deputy prime minister.
Kadaga supported Uganda’s 2014 Anti-Homosexuality Act, a law that criminalized same-sex relations and drew international condemnation.
“How does a self-proclaimed progressive candidate for mayor of New York City — the birthplace of Stonewall, the city that led the fight for equality — find himself smiling beside one of the most notorious anti-LGBTQ figures on the planet? And how does he maintain dual citizenship in a country that criminalizes people simply for who they love?” Cuomo said in a statement on Sunday.
In the photo, Kadaga wrote, “Delighted to meet with Zohran Mamdani, incoming Mayor of New York City. Good luck in the next phase of elections.”
Delighted to meet with Zohran Mamdhani incoming Mayor of New York City. Good luck in the next phase of elections pic.twitter.com/FD6vO4qoBv [2]
— Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga (@RebeccaKadagaUG) July 31, 2025 [3]
Another post dated July 31 showed Kadaga posing with Mamdani and his father, Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani, following the younger Mamdani’s traditional wedding in Kampala.
“Here with Zohran Mamdani and Prof Mamdani as Zohran returns to New York after his traditional wedding in Kampala,” the caption read.
Mamdani’s campaign told The Post that he was “unaware” of Kadaga’s support for the controversial legislation. His team did not respond to Fox News Digital for additional comment.
Cuomo dismissed the explanation as implausible, citing Kadaga’s long public record.
“Mamdani now claims he didn’t know who she was — that is laughable. Kadaga’s crusade against Uganda’s LGBTQ community has been condemned globally for well over a decade. Any serious public official, particularly one from Uganda, would know exactly who she is,” Cuomo said.
The 2014 Anti-Homosexuality Act prohibited “any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex.” Kadaga told Reuters in November 2012 that Ugandans wanted the measure as a “Christmas gift,” saying, “They have asked for it, and we’ll give them that gift.”
Then-President Barack Obama called the bill “odious,” while President Joe Biden described it as a “tragic violation of universal human rights.”
Although Uganda’s Constitutional Court struck down the law in 2014, a new version was enacted in 2023 that imposes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.”
Cuomo further accused Mamdani of hypocrisy, noting that his platform includes pledges to “protect LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers” and expand “gender-affirming care.”
“New Yorkers deserve a mayor who stands on principle, not one who hides behind excuses,” Cuomo said. “Zohran Mamdani has shown one quality time and again: duplicity. And as we’ve learned, if he’s smiling, he’s lying.”
Cuomo contrasted his record on LGBTQ rights with Mamdani’s controversy, reminding voters that under his governorship, New York became the first major state to pass marriage equality and enact protections for transgender residents under GENDA.
He also cited the legalization of surrogacy and his administration’s efforts to build on the legacy of Stonewall.
Kadaga has not publicly commented on the controversy, and Mamdani has not issued a formal statement addressing the backlash.