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A lavish, three-day wedding celebration hosted by New York's mayoral frontrunner, Zohran Mamdani, at his family's compound in the upscale Buziga neighbourhood has drawn criticism from mourning neighbours.
The heavily fortified festivities last week coincided with the period of mourning for former Ugandan Supreme Court Judge George Kanyeihamba and have been deemed "insensitive" by some residents.
Judge Kanyeihamba, a neighbour to the Mamdani estate, passed away on July 14, and his funeral rites were still underway during Mamdani's celebrations.
"Because of the culture here, it was insensitive to have a wedding celebration in the same week as mourning - or 'Okukungubaga' - as it's called here...People are still in mourning," one local was quoted as saying, pointing towards Kanyeihamba's house.
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The sentiment was further amplified by the fact that Judge Kanyeihamba had not yet been buried, with friends and mourners still gathering to pay their last respects.
President Museveni also visited the late judge’s home to pay his respects
President Yoweri Museveni with the Late George Kanyeihamba's family
Inside the Heavily Fortified Buziga Extravaganza
Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old Uganda-born politician, arrived from New York to celebrate his marriage to artist and animator Rama Duwaji, 27.
The two had eloped in February this year.
The family's estate in Buziga, known for its affluent residents and panoramic views of Lake Victoria, was transformed into a party pad for the occasion.
Zohran Mamdani celebrated his marriage to Rama Duwaji with family and friends.
According to reports, the celebrations were a heavily fortified affair, featuring armed military-style guards in masks, a phone-jamming system, and multiple security gates.
One witness described seeing "more than 20 special forces command unit guards, some in masks, and there was a phone-jamming system set up - and all for the strictly invite-only Mamdani event...One gate had around nine guards stationed at it."
Luxury buses and high-end cars like Mercedes and Range Rovers were observed driving to the compound, where guests reportedly danced to local DJ music and enjoyed fruit juices, typical of Indian-style events.
The party, which included an address from the New York mayoral nominee, concluded after midnight, with military-style tents being dismantled the following day.