Dr Davji Atellah, the secretary general of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union, has entered the race for the Lang’ata parliamentary seat, setting up a new contest ahead of Kenya’s 2027 General Election.
Atellah announced his intention to run during a meeting with more than 1,000 young people in the Nairobi constituency.
He has yet to say which political party he will use to pursue the seat, leaving open the question of where his campaign will fit within Kenya’s shifting political alliances.
His proposed agenda is centred on issues that have long shaped politics in Lang’ata: education, healthcare, youth employment and the future of informal-sector businesses.
Education, he said, would be one of his first priorities if elected. He also proposed changes to the way constituency bursaries are distributed.
“Education is a right for every child in Lang’ata,” Atellah said.
He also promised to focus on economic opportunities for young people and the challenges faced by workers in the informal sector.
During a visit to Madaraka Garage, he met mechanics, welders and spare-parts dealers who raised concerns about insecure workspaces, limited access to modern equipment and the rising cost of healthcare.
Atellah is entering a constituency that is already preparing for a change in its parliamentary representation.
The incumbent MP, Phelix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang’o, has said he will not seek re-election in Lang’ata in 2027. He is instead pursuing the Nairobi Senate seat, a decision he announced earlier this year.
That decision has opened the field in Lang’ata, with several politicians positioning themselves for the seat.
For Atellah, the move would take him from the leadership of a powerful professional union into electoral politics.
He was re-elected unopposed as KMPDU secretary general in April, securing another five-year term. The union continues to identify him as its secretary general.
His years at KMPDU have been dominated by campaigns over doctors’ pay, salary arrears, promotions and working conditions. The union has said his new term will focus on enforcing existing collective bargaining agreements and improving the welfare of medical practitioners.
Atellah now faces a different test.
His record as a union leader may give him visibility among voters, but winning Lang’ata will require building a political organisation and securing a party platform capable of carrying his campaign.
For now, he has not revealed which party he intends to join.
The decision could become one of the most important next steps in his bid as the 2027 political contest gathers pace.
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