Mohammed Abduba Dida, a former Kenyan presidential candidate in the 2013 and 2017 general elections, is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in the United States.
Charged with two Counts
Dida, 50, popularly known as Mwalimu, has been detained at the Big Muddy Correctional Center in Illinois. He has been incarcerated since November 18, 2022, after being charged with stalking and intimidation of an unidentified individual. The former Lenana high school teacher was found guilty of the two counts.
The first charge is for stalking and transmitting threats. This resulted in a two-year sentence. The second count for aggravated stalking and violation of a restraining order attracted a five-year sentence.
Dida Filed Complaint
Dida recently filed a complaint against the facility. He alleged violation of his constitutional rights, including the right to worship. This he says is affecting his free will to observe the Islamic daily prayer schedule.
“Plaintiff claims that now at Big Muddy he has been approved as a volunteer imam, but he has only been allowed one Friday prayer.
“He has otherwise been denied prayers before and after sunrise and sunset, and he has been denied three additional prayers,” reads a legal complaint filed in the US District Court, Southern District of Illinois.
Other Complaints
The former presidential candidate also wants a full shower every Friday before prayer. He complains that despite endless meetings, his pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
“He claims that even a single drop of urine nullifies his prayer, which makes it problematic to pray in a cell where toilets are co-located,” the company adds.
Highlights About Abduba Dida’s Life
- Dida, 59, was born in Wajir Town.
- He was a renowned teacher in North Eastern. He taught English literature and religious studies at Dadaab Secondary School and later Lenana School, Nairobi.
- The renowned teacher resigned from teaching and ventured into business.
- Four years later, he joined the presidential race in the final lap, on an Alliance for Real Change (ARC) party ticket.
- Following his two failed attempts at the presidency, Dida became socially inactive and muted his X account. He came up every blue moon for updates.
In a ruling on May 29, 2024, United States Magistrate Judge, Gilbert Sison, ordered an investigation to be carried out to determine the validity of Dida’s claims.
The court, however, dismissed his allegations, citing that his claims were not supported by the law.
Dida’s release date is scheduled for April 3, 2029.
This revelation came as a shock to many who saw him as different from politicians who rode on merely popularity and not driven by value and accountability.
In 2013, he centered his campaign around the promise of dealing with corruption head-on. This was by instilling good governance at every government level.
In a surprise move, he managed to run circles around political heavyweights like NARC-Kenya’s Martha Karua and seasoned politicians like Paul Muite.
Dida’s second attempt for the presidency in the 2017 elections, was a call for change across all layers of the society and country. He managed 38,093 votes, emerging fourth with 0.25% of the total vote.
