Abduba Dida protests limitations on role as volunteer Imam in US jail » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 10 — Former Kenya presidential candidate Abduba Dida may now enjoy additional liberties in jail after a US court partly allowed his petition against limitations of his religious practices.
Dida, a self-proclaimed crusader against bad governance and two-time presidential candidate serving a prison sentence at Big Muddy River Correctional Center in Illinois, had raised concerns about the limitations terming them a violation of his rights.
Dida filed a civil rights lawsuit in April alleging that the prison has failed to accommodate his religious needs.
He claimed prison authories significantly restricted his rights to prayer and religious observance.
Dida told the court that during his time at East Moline Correctional Center, authorities only allowed him one prayer per week, and his requests for additional prayer times were denied.
His situation reportedly worsened at Southwestern Correctional Center, where he faced challenges accessing prayer times and experienced an invasive search that led to his transfer to Big Muddy.
Volunteer Imam
Big Muddy restricted Dida, who is an approved volunteer imam, to a single weekly prayer session.
He also alleged that he is denied opportunities to pray before and after sunrise and sunset and was unable to observe key religious celebrations fully.
“I am only allowed one Friday prayer, and important aspects of my religious practice, such as the direction of prayer and necessary purification, are compromised,” Dida contended.
The court’s preliminary review allowed Dida’s claim under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) to proceed.
The court however dismissed the claim under the First Amendment due to insufficient evidence linking individual prison officials to the alleged violations.
The court emphasized that RLUIPA provides broader protections for religious exercise and supports Dida’s request for injunctive relief to improve his access to prayer and religious observance.
“The Free Exercise Clause prohibits the state from imposing a substantial burden on a central religious belief or practice,” noted the court, referencing the legal standards for religious accommodations in prison.
US authoroties incarcerated Dida in November 2022 for stalking and intimidation.
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