Mahmood Mamdani

Mahmood Mamdani is a Ugandan academic, political commentator, and author known for his work on African politics, colonialism, post-colonialism, and the politics of knowledge production.

Mahmood Mamdani is a Ugandan academic, political commentator, and author known for his work on African politics, colonialism, post-colonialism, and the politics of knowledge production. He has held senior teaching and research positions at Columbia University and in Uganda, and has written influential books on citizenship, state power, and conflict in Africa.

Early life and education

Mamdani was born in Bombay, British India, on 23 April 1946 and raised in Uganda. He studied at the University of Pittsburgh, the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and Harvard University, where he earned a PhD in government.

Academic career

He has taught at several universities, including Columbia University and Makerere University. He also founded the Centre for Basic Research in Kampala and led the Makerere Institute of Social Research from 2010 to 2022.

Major writings

Mamdani is widely known for books such as Citizen and Subject, When Victims Become Killers, and Good Muslim, Bad Muslim. These works examine colonial rule, state formation, violence, and political identity in Africa and beyond.

Scholarly themes

His work often addresses the legacy of colonialism, the politics of ethnicity and citizenship, genocide, and the relationship between power and knowledge. He is regarded as a major figure in African studies and post-colonial scholarship.