Atellah declares bid for Lang'ata seat, cites years of doctors' advocacy

KMPDU Secretary General Davji Atellah. [Courtesy]

Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Dr Davji Atellah is taking his advocacy for doctors into elective politics after declaring his bid for the Lang’ata parliamentary seat in the 2027 General Election.

Atellah says his years representing doctors in street protests, negotiations and disputes over their welfare have prepared him to serve residents of the constituency.

“I have spent years standing with doctors on the streets, at negotiation tables and in difficult conversations where the welfare and dignity of our medics were at stake. The fight for doctors taught me something simple: when you are entrusted with the responsibility to serve, you cannot afford to look away,” he said.

The KMPDU leader said he intends to take the same approach to Lang’ata by listening to residents and working with them on local issues.

“That same spirit is what I am bringing home to Lang’ata. The arena may change, but my commitment does not. The people may be different, but the principle remains the same: listen, stand with the people, and get to work,” Atellah observed.

His entry into politics follows years of confrontations with the government over doctors’ pay, salary arrears, promotions, internships and career progression.

In February 2024, Atellah was injured during a doctors’ protest in Nairobi as he led medical interns in demonstrations over delayed internship postings.

Reports at the time said he was struck by a tear gas canister and suffered a head injury.

“We were just moving down in a procession, then the police came and parked in front of us, and immediately, we were about 200 meters away, and the first shot he took hit my head,” Atellah said at the time.

Atellah has now framed his political bid as an extension of his work at the doctors’ union.

“I am not coming to Lang’ata to be another politician. I am coming with the same courage, energy and determination that I have carried into every fight for our doctors,” he said.

“The work continues. This time, it is home.”

Atellah declared his intention to contest the seat in September during a meeting with more than 1,000 young people in Lang’ata.

He outlined an agenda focused on education, healthcare, youth empowerment and protection of informal-sector workspaces.

Education is one of the areas he has placed at the centre of his campaign, including changes to how bursaries are distributed in the constituency.

“Education is a right for every child in Lang’ata,” Atellah said while outlining his proposed approach to bursary distribution.

He also pledged to pursue opportunities for young people and address challenges facing informal-sector workers.

His campaign comes as Lang’ata heads towards an open parliamentary contest after incumbent MP Phelix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang’o, announced that he will not defend the seat in 2027.

Jalang’o has instead declared his intention to contest the Nairobi Senate seat.

Atellah has not disclosed the political party whose ticket he will seek or indicated which political formation he will join ahead of the election.

His political entry also follows his re-election as KMPDU secretary general in April 2026, when he secured a fresh five-year mandate after emerging unopposed.

KMPDU has identified enforcement of existing collective bargaining agreements, payment of outstanding salary arrears and the welfare of medical practitioners among the priorities for his new term.