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Mohammed Abduba Dida, a former Kenyan presidential candidate and educator, quietly walked out of an Illinois correctional facility earlier this month, marking the beginning of a new chapter after nearly two years behind bars in the United States. His wife, Amina Liban, confirmed his release on Wednesday, April 23.
Dida, 50, had been serving a combined seven-year sentence at the Big Muddy Correctional Center in southern Illinois following his conviction in 2022 on charges related to stalking and making threats. According to prison records, he was paroled on April 4, 2025, and is expected to serve the remainder of his sentence under supervised release until April 3, 2029.
Court documents show that Dida was convicted on two counts: one involving stalking and transmission of threats, for which he received a two-year sentence, and a second, more serious charge of aggravated stalking and violation of a court-issued restraining order, which added five years to his term.
Now back in civilian life, Dida has relocated to Minnesota, where he had previously founded a non-profit, Dida Foundation International, just before his legal troubles began. His wife revealed that the former candidate is already working to revive the organization, with plans to secure an office and resume activities aimed at community upliftment.
“He is living at his home in Minnesota. He had registered the foundation before his arrest and now he’s focused on getting it operational again,” Amina Liban told the press.
The charity, registered in the U.S. in 2017, appears on the website of Charity Navigator, a prominent organization that evaluates nonprofits. However, the foundation has yet to be rated due to limited data on its programming and operations. According to Charity Navigator, this may be due to a lack of direct service delivery, minimal public financial disclosures, or a small donor base.
Dida’s time in prison was not without controversy. In 2024, he filed a legal complaint alleging that his rights were infringed while incarcerated, claiming he was denied access to educational and rehabilitation programs typically available to inmates.
Once known in Kenya for his humor, sharp wit, and bold rhetoric during the 2013 and 2017 presidential campaigns, Dida’s political star faded after his relocation to the U.S.
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