Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) secretary general Dr Davji Atellah has outlined a raft of policy proposals as he seeks to become the next MP for Lang’ata.
His policy proposals target education, healthcare, youth empowerment and the informal sector.
Atellah has declared his intention to contest the Lang’ata parliamentary seat in the 2027 general election, entering the race at a time when the constituency is set for an open contest.
Incumbent MP Phelix Odiwuor, popularly known as Jalang’o, has announced that he will not defend his seat in 2027 and will instead seek to contest the Nairobi Senate position.
During engagements with residents and young people in Lang’ata, Atellah presented his development agenda, with a significant focus on improving opportunities for children of informal-sector workers and securing the livelihoods of artisans.
Atellah has pledged to overhaul bursary distribution in Lang’ata, promising what he describes as 100 per cent CDF bursary equity and direct school fee guarantees.
His proposal seeks to reduce the financial pressure on families by ensuring that children, particularly those from artisan households, remain in school despite challenges in meeting school fees.
He has maintained that access to education should not depend on a family’s ability to pay.
Under his proposed programme, Atellah says no child of an artisan should drop out of school or remain at home because of unpaid fees.
Healthcare is another key pillar of Atellah’s proposed agenda.
He has pledged to establish an Artisan Universal Health Coverage programme, which would combine Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and National Government-Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) support to subsidise healthcare for mechanics and other informal-sector workers.
The proposal would seek to provide full health insurance coverage for mechanics and their immediate families, protecting them from the financial burden associated with emergency treatment and work-related injuries.
Atellah has identified artisans as a critical part of Lang’ata’s economy and said their access to healthcare should be strengthened alongside efforts to improve their working conditions.
Atellah has also proposed measures to address insecurity surrounding Jua Kali workspaces.
His Workspace Security proposal includes securing garage tenure and investing in modern infrastructure.
The trade unionist has pledged to protect garages from evictions while providing basic facilities such as perimeter security, water and electricity connections.
The plan would also facilitate access to modern equipment, including advanced diagnostic scanners, to enable mechanics to operate more efficiently and compete in an increasingly technology-driven automotive sector.
Another component of Atellah’s agenda is to help artisans gain formal recognition for skills acquired through practical experience.
Under his proposed Capital and Tenders programme, he intends to support Jua Kali operators through Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) while facilitating accreditation through the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
The programme would seek to enable experienced mechanics to obtain nationally recognised certificates based on skills they have acquired outside conventional training institutions.
Atellah argues that formal recognition would open opportunities for artisans to compete for corporate and county government contracts, including lucrative vehicle fleet maintenance and repair tenders.
He has also placed youth empowerment at the centre of his campaign, with his engagements in the constituency focusing on ways of expanding economic opportunities for young people.
The doctor's proposals come as he transitions from trade union leadership into elective politics.
The KMPDU boss has not yet disclosed the political party whose ticket he will use to contest the Lang’ata seat, nor has he announced which of the emerging political formations he will align himself with ahead of the 2027 elections.
Atellah’s political ambitions follow his re-election as KMPDU secretary general for a fresh five-year term after he emerged unopposed in the union’s April 2026 elections.
His tenure at the doctors’ union has been marked by campaigns over doctors’ salaries, payment of arrears, promotions and career progression.
KMPDU has said his new term will focus on enforcing existing collective bargaining agreements, clearing outstanding salary arrears and advancing the welfare of medical practitioners.
Under his leadership, the union reported that 5,186 doctors received long-standing salary arrears in 2025, while more than 3,100 were promoted across counties, ministries and Level 6 hospitals.
More than 1,000 doctors were also moved from contractual employment to permanent and pensionable terms.
