Duwaji met Zohran Mamdani – the son of academic Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair – on the dating app Hinge in 2021, when he was a member of the New York State Assembly.[5][7][10][13] They were engaged in October 2024,[7] held a private nikah ceremony two months later in Dubai,[10][14] and married in February 2025 in a civil ceremony at New York City Hall;[5][12] they also had a ceremony in Uganda – Mamdani's birth country – in July 2025.[5]
Following Mamdani's victory in the 2025 mayoral election, and his subsequent inauguration as mayor, Duwaji became the first lady of New York City in January 2026,[5] making her the first Gen Z-er and the first Muslim to assume the role.[15] She helped curate visuals for his campaign.[2][16]
The couple resided in Mamdani's legislative district of Astoria, Queens, near Steinway Street,[4][5] until they moved into Gracie Mansion on January 12, 2026, after taking office.[17]