Mohammed Abduba Dida's Kenyan Family Says Issues With His American Wife Led To Imprisonment

• Mohammed Abduba Dida faded from the limelight, and it emerged that he travelled to the US in 2019
• Dida went to further his studies and married an American woman, but they later fell out
• His family explained what transpired and appealed for government help to secure his release

The family of former presidential candidate Mohammed Abduba Dida has spoken out over his seven-year jail term in the US.

Why was Abduba Dida jailed?

Dida, a former teacher-turned-businessman, is serving his sentence at the Big Muddy River Correctional Center in Illinois, where he’s been incarcerated since 2022.

He was jailed in July 2021 for stalking and threatening his wife, Shannon, with whom he has a child.

Reports indicate that Dida travelled to the US in 2019 to further his education when he met Shannon and married her.

She later got a restraining order against Dida, and his family claimed that he unknowingly violated it.

“He went to a nearby mosque to pray, and unfortunately, it was in an area he was not supposed to be as she also frequented the mosque.”

His Nairobi family termed the sentence too harsh for a dispute between a husband and wife.

"We are praying for him and trying to find a way of visiting him, finding another lawyer, and helping him. As a family, there are limits to what we can do, and that’s why we need government intervention.”

Dida’s son said that he hoped his dad would be released soon.

“We need our father back home,” he said.

Dida is set to be released in April 2029, but will be eligible for parole in 2025.

Kenyans reacted by saying:

@MachariaTWambu1:

“Family waited for years and NTV expose to start begging the government to intervene, clearly an afterthought.”

@S_Xersi:

“Prayers for the family during these hard times.”

@zubieford:

“I knew it was for some silly reason.”

@tyanmilly:

“There is nothing the government can do. Abroad, women are the king. You mess up, you get locked up for years.”

How many votes did Abduba Dida get in 2013?

Dida rose to the public limelight after vying for the presidency twice.

He was on the ballot in 2013 and 2017. During the 2013 election, he garnered 54,840 votes.

What did Abduba Dida say about Ruto?

In 2021, Dida warned about a William Ruto presidency.

Dida said Ruto was assembling too many politicians within his fold who would demand favours once he took power.

Dida claimed Ruto's political associates would be a threat to public funds.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke