Abduba Dida: The fall from grace for teacher turned presidential candidate

He is currently serving a seven-year sentence at the Big Muddy Correctional Centre in Illinois for stalking and intimidating an unidentified individual. 

Known for his straight-talking nature in the lead-up to the 2013 elections, the former teacher made a surprising entry into the presidential race and gained traction for his antics. 

Following his failed quest to become president in two elections, Dida went quiet with his X account occasionally issuing updates. 

Fast forward to 2024, the 49-year-old is in his second year after being convicted of two charges; stalking and violating a restraining order which resulted in the court slapping him with a two and five-year sentence respectively. 

Dida fall from grace? 

Born in Wajir Town in 1975, Dida is renowned for his teaching career, where he taught English literature and Religion at Dadaab Secondary School in the North Eastern region, and later Lenana School, Nairobi. 

In 2009, he resigned from teaching to venture into business. Four years later, he joined the presidential race in the final lap, announcing his candidature a month before the election on an (Alliance for Real Change) ARC party ticket. 

He pegged his campaign on the promise of ridding the country of corruption and good governance. 

Despite this, he managed to outwit political heavyweights in the race, finishing above NARC-Kenya's Martha Karua and Paul Muite. 

Dida attempted to vie for a second time in the 2017 elections, this time around campaigning for change across all sectors of the country. 

He emerged fourth, amassing 38,093 votes which translated to 0.25 per cent of the total votes cast. 

Years later, Dida was arrested in Illinois, USA, for committing the offence. After he was convicted in November 2022, Dida has filed petitions in court, complaining of not receiving medical attention and inability to access educational or vocational programmes. 

In a ruling on May 29, 2024, United States Magistrate Judge Gilbert Sison ordered a probe to be carried out to establish whether Dida's claims were valid.

The court, however, dismissed his allegations, citing that his claims were not supported by the law.