Former Kenyan presidential candidate Mohammed Abduba Dida is currently serving a 7-year prison sentence in Illinois, USA, after being convicted of stalking and transmitting threats. Dida has been incarcerated at the Big Muddy Correctional Center since November 18, 2022. His conviction stemmed from two charges, stalking and communicating threats, which earned him a two-year sentence, and aggravated stalking and violation of a restraining order, resulting in a five-year sentence.
The 49-year-old former teacher’s case was initially heard in 2021 while he was detained in Mclean County, Illinois, where the offenses occurred. Recently, Dida raised concerns about alleged violations of his constitutional rights, claiming that he has been denied access to educational and other programs during his incarceration.
Court documents dated July 8, 2024, reveal that Dida was barred from accessing educational programs beginning on May 31, 2022, while he was held at East Moline Correctional Center. He attempted to take the mandatory Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) in June 2022 but did not pass, which prevented him from sitting for the General Educational Development (GED) exam. He was placed on a waiting list to retake the TABE after 45 days but was unable to do so while at East Moline.
In February 2023, Dida was informed that he remained on the waiting list, and despite filing grievances, he was told that he could not take the exam or attend school until 2027. This delay was tied to his expected release date. In addition to his educational claims, Dida alleged that he was denied a job and access to other prison programs.
Dida also reported health issues, including numbness on the left side of his body, swelling in his feet and toes, and spinal pain. He was diagnosed with pernicious anemia in February 2024 due to a vitamin B-12 deficiency and was prescribed a seven-month course of B-12 supplements. He claims that the medical care he has received has been inadequate.
On May 29, 2024, United States Magistrate Judge Gilbert Sison ordered an investigation into Dida’s claims, focusing on the prison’s warden, Kimberly Hvarre, and a health administrator. However, the court ultimately dismissed Dida’s allegations, citing a lack of constitutional basis for his claims regarding the denial of educational and 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,'” read the court ruling. Dida is expected to be released from the correctional facility on April 3, 2029.