Abduba Dida: Former presidential candidate released on parole from US prison

Former Kenyan presidential candidate Mohammed Abduba Dida has been released from prison in the United States after serving part of a 7-year sentence.

Dida was released on parole from the Big Muddy Correctional Center in Illinois on April 3, 2025, after being in custody since November 18, 2022.

He had been convicted of stalking and making threats against his ex-wife.

According to court records, he violated a restraining order by entering a restricted area — a mosque located near her residence.

“He went to the mosque to pray, not realising it was within a zone he was prohibited from entering,” a family member said in a past interview. “His ex-wife also frequented the same mosque.”

Dida had moved to the U.S. in January 2019 for further studies and later married the ex-wife. The two lived together until their separation in mid-2021.

Following his conviction, he was initially held at the Southwestern Correctional Centre before being transferred to Big Muddy.

Reports indicate that Dida will now serve the remainder of his sentence through community-based philanthropic work under supervision.

Parole allows a prisoner to be released before completing their full sentence, provided they adhere to certain conditions while living in the community.

A former teacher and principal at Daadab Secondary School, Dida rose to national prominence in Kenya during the 2013 presidential elections and was best known for his witty and humorous debating style.

He ran under the Alliance for Real Change party, and although he did not win, his fresh, unconventional approach to politics left an impression on many Kenyans. 

He presented himself as a principled outsider, advocating for moral leadership, simplicity in governance, and a return to values-based decision making.

After the elections, Dida remained an outspoken figure in Kenyan politics and society, occasionally resurfacing in the public discourse, though he gradually faded from the mainstream political spotlight.

Over the years, he kept a relatively low profile, with much of his activities taking place away from the public eye, leading to speculation about his whereabouts and future ambitions, only for news of his arrest to surface.