Amina Halake, wife of former presidential candidate Abduba Dida, has declared her intention to contest in the 2027 general election under the Alliance for Change party, as more candidates express their interest to contest for the country’s top-seat, in what is expected to be a highly competitive electoral contest in the country.
In an interview on Monday night, Amina said the party, which her husband used in his 2013 and 2017 bids, recently held elections that saw her take over as party leader.
Amina, who previously served as secretary general, explained that her deep involvement in Abduba’s campaigns had prepared her for the role.
"I was party secretary general and his wife at the same time, and I was involved with almost everything, campaigning, his welfare at home, so there is nothing I don't know about the campaigning, the strategy and all that," she said.
She said the change in party leadership was part of a broader shift within the Alliance for Change, and that her husband was aware of the changes and her political plans.
"We haven't had much of a discussion about it, but he knows I am the one moving on with the party. He knows about the election we recently had and the change of officials," she noted.
Positioning herself as a new face in politics, Halake emphasized her personal experience with systemic injustices under successive governments.
“Today in Kenya, our law favours the powerful and disadvantages the poor. We cannot build a nation where the rule of law is just a symbol or a slogan. We need a leader who upholds the constitution, delivers justice for all, and fights impunity without fear or favour,” she said.
“I am not a recycled leader, I am fresh blood, and I have suffered injustices at the hands of the previous five presidents. I understand the dynamics of politics being a close contact of a former aspirant. I think I fit the bill, I am capable, and I bring the change the country needs.”
ARC party has further invited young professionals to seek elective positions using their ticket, promising to offer them for free.
“If you are less than 35 years, in the coming by elections we have made a decision that any youth will be a granted a ticket for free. This also applies to all female aspirants,”
While Amina has made her presidential intentions clear, she remained uncertain about whether Abduba would be returning to the race for a third time.
“Old habits die hard,” she said, implying that Dida might still consider running.
Abduba, who is currently in the United States, was released earlier this year from a US prison after serving three years of a seven-year sentence.
He was convicted in 2021 for stalking and threatening his American wife in Illinois. The court found that he had violated a restraining order issued against him.
According to his family, the violation occurred when Abduba visited a mosque that happened to be within a restricted area.
“He visited a nearby mosque to pray, and unfortunately, the mosque also happened to be around the area where he was not supposed to be because Mama Lila also frequently visited the mosque,” a family member said in September 2024.
Abduba was released in April 2025 after serving his sentence at the Big Muddy Correctional Centre in Illinois.
Halake’s presidential bid places her among women who have contested Kenya’s highest office, following in the footsteps of Charity Ngilu, Nazlin Omar, and Martha Karua.
Amina Halake now joins a growing list of early presidential contenders, which includes gospel musician Reuben Kigame, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, Peoples Liberation Party (PLP) Leader Martha Karua, ex-Chief Justice David Maraga, and Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah.
