Ugandans keep asking me: “Remmy, how did Zohran win the New York Mayoral election?”
To them, it feels like fiction. They’re reading about ZohranK Mamdani.
, the same guy once known as Young Cardamom, who sang Kanda Chapati (yes, chapati, the Nile-side delicacy that has fueled revolutions and hangouts alike). They’re reading about a man who tried it all, from sports writing, acting, to singing, and somehow ended up running one of the most powerful cities in the world.
It’s breathtaking. It’s surreal. Journalists from Kampala keep calling me, “Can we interview him? and I just laugh and say, “Zohran isn’t just the neighborhood kid anymore you can walk up to. He’s the people’s mayor in New York City”, surrounded by guards.
Ugandans are still celebrating, not just the man, but the meaning of his win. One said “New York owes Uganda big time. We gave them a Mayor”.
It’s really cool to see people still celebrating days after he was announced because every Ugandan knows what it means to rise against the odds.
Anyway, from my observation, here is how Zohran beat the billionaires
1. Every decision, every strategy, every moment centered on the people, not profit, not power, and that made all the difference.
2. Zohran never softened the message to make it easier to swallow, he made it clearer so people could rise to meet it.
3. So many campaigns talk at people, this one talked with them. It was a community in conversation.
4. From volunteers to voters, everyone led with care. You could feel it in every door knocked and every story shared.
5. Queens in full color. Every background, every accent, every faith, united for affordability.
My biggest takeaway from this campaign is that you don’t need wealth to change the world. You just need people, purpose, and persistence.
To be continued….
By: Remmy Bahatti.
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