Overview
- The New York Post reported Thursday that Stella Nyanzi alleges former Makerere Institute of Social Research director Mahmood Mamdani blocked her 2016 Queer African Studies course, padlocked her office, and suspended her pay.
- Right-leaning outlets amplified the story Friday as Zohran Mamdani remains the Democratic frontrunner for New York City mayor, tying the decades-older dispute to his current campaign.
- Nyanzi’s protests at the time included stripping, taping her mouth, and chaining herself to university doors, actions she says led to further reprisals by authorities.
- Mamdani previously defended the institute’s actions in a Newsweek interview, saying Nyanzi hurt MISR’s standing, and he did not respond to the Post’s latest request for comment.
- Nyanzi won a $32,200 judgment against Makerere University in 2020 with an offer of reinstatement, though she says the withheld salary was never paid, and the new reports do not cite any additional rulings against Mamdani.