Mohamed Abduba Dida relocated to Illinois in January 2019 to pursue his studies, with plans to return to Kenya upon completing his academic journey.
During his time in Illinois, the former presidential candidate entered into his fourth marriage. READ FULL STORY
Dida had previously married three women in Kenya, although one of those marriages ended in divorce.
Notably, his other two wives and the rest of his family did not object to his decision to take an additional wife.
This marriage in the United States resulted in the birth of a child, who is the youngest among his more than a dozen siblings residing in Kenya.
However, a significant change occurred in July 2021 when a dispute between Dida and his wife led to a seven-year prison sentence for him, which has since been extended by an additional year.
In an interview, Dida’s family expressed that, despite these developments, his American wife remains a part of their family, as she has not initiated divorce proceedings.
The politician’s second wife, Amina Halake, along with his mother, Habiba, and firstborn son, Luqman, have taken the lead in efforts to secure legal assistance for Dida to facilitate his appeal.
“Mwalimu Dida was not represented in court because he was of the considered view that it was a small domestic dispute which would be resolved through dialogue. He is acting in person and I am aware that he has filed an appeal and he tells me the appeal has high chances of success,” Amina said.
Amina asserts that following the incident, Dida’s new spouse successfully obtained a restraining order that prohibited him from approaching her or entering their residence.
She noted that Dida was adamant about gaining access to their home, as well as to a mosque that she frequents, which complicated matters further.
Amina mentioned that she attempted to contact Dida’s American wife multiple times in hopes of resolving the conflict through discussions or Shariah law, but her efforts were in vain.
Dida’s family contends that the conviction and sentencing of their primary provider were excessive outcomes of a domestic issue that could have been settled through conversation or in accordance with Shariah law.
Amina further stated that she became aware of Dida’s imprisonment through his American wife after being unable to reach him by phone for several days.
“Mwalimu Dida had been in constant contact with us and… he said there was an issue between him and his wife. Suddenly, we missed his calls
“But in 2022 when we missed his calls for over 10 days, we got worried because he had earlier reported that things were not very good between him and his new wife,” Amisa said.
Dida is scheduled to be released from prison on April 3, 2029.
