Former Kenyan presidential candidate jailed for seven years in USA

By Catherine Muema On Sep 10, 2024

By Antynet For

Former presidential candidate, Mohamed Abduba Dida is serving a seven-year jail term in the United States over stalking and threats.

Dida who is a former teacher is imprisoned at the Big Muddy Correctional Centre in Illinois where he has been held since November of 2022 after he was found guilty of stalking and intimidating an unidentified individual in the Midwestern State of the US.

Information at the correctional center indicates that Dida was found guilty on two separate charges and that the offense was committed in Mclean’s town of Illinois.

In the first case, the former presidential candidate was found guilty of stalking and transmitting threats, which resulted in a two-year sentence.

In the second count, the 49-year-old former teacher found guilty of aggravated stalking and violation of a restraining order which saw the court slap him with a 5-year sentence.

In a recent development, Abduba Dida went to court alleging that his constitutional rights were being violated, arguing that he has been prevented from accessing educational and other programs during his incarceration.

Court documents dated July 8, 2024, Dida says that he has been starved access to educational programs, beginning on May 31, 2022, while he was confined at East Moline Correctional Cente.

“He took the mandatory Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) test in June 2022 but did not achieve a passing score. Consequently, he was not permitted to take a General Educational Development (GED) exam. He was placed on a waiting list to retake the TABE after 45 days.” The documents read in part.

“He was also told he was on a waiting list for the Adult Basic Education (ABE) class for basic arithmetic and reading skills. Despite the passage of the 45-day waiting period, Plaintiff was not able to retake the TABE test while at East Moline.” The document added.

In February 2023, Dida narrates he was told he could not retake the exam but was still on a waiting list, and after filing his grievances, he was told he could not take the exam or attend school until 2027 because the waiting list was tied to the date of the inmate’s expected release from prison.

He further claims that he has been denied a job and access to all programs.

The Kenyan convict also claimed that he had been denied medical attention, arguing that his health has been deteriorating over the time he has been in prison.

Court documents show that he had complained of numbness on the left side of his body in January 2023, and the condition escalated to swelling of feet and toes and spinal pain.

He was also diagnosed with pernicious anemia as of February 2024 after being found with a Vitamin B-12 deficiency. He was put on a seven-month B-12 pill medication.

He has argued that the facility has been giving him ill-medical care.

In a recent ruling issued on May 29, 2024, United States Magistrate Judge Gilbert Sison ordered that an investigation into Dida’s claims be conducted and that the defendants, including prison Warden Kimberly Hvarre and a health administrator, be held culpable if charged with an offense.

However, the court dismissed Abduba Dida’s claims, citing a lack of constitutional support for his inability to access educational or vocational programs.

“This case is DISMISSED with prejudice for failure to state a constitutional claim upon which relief may be granted. The Court counts the dismissal of this action as one of Plaintiff’s three “strikes”.” Court documents indicated.

Abduba Dida is expected to leave the facility on April 3, 2029.