Davji Atellah reveals he once dreamed of becoming Catholic priest
Dr Davji Bhimji Atellah, the Secretary-General of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), has disclosed that his childhood dream was to serve as a Catholic priest.
In a candid interview with a local media station on Thursday, July 24, 2025, Dr Atellah shared that his grandmother’s deep faith immersed him in Catholic culture from an early age.
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He frequently served as an altar boy and enrolled in the seminary at Asumbi, even walking nearly 30 km each Saturday from Kakachar to Asumbi just to attend classes and live out his vocational aspiration.
“When I went to the village, my grandmother, who was extremely religious, exposed me to catholic culture and therefore my dream was to be a priest, and I started going to the seminary in Asumbi,” Dr Atellah narrated.
“We would walk every Saturday from Kakachar to Asumbi, it is about 30 km, that was the aspiration – to work hard to be a priest.”
During his high school years at St Joseph Rapogi, a seminary-run institution, he worked as an altar boy and catechist, guiding peers through baptism and confirmation
“When I went to high school at St Joseph Rapogi, which was also a seminary school, I continued being an altar boy and even being a catechist. I was training the high school boys on how to get their baptism and confirmation,” he added.
Career shift
Additionally, Dr Atellah stated that after excelling academically. Following his straight-A performance at St Joseph Rapogi, he still maintained his priesthood dream; however, the trajectory of his life shifted after joining the university.
“After high school, I still went with that strong aspect of being a priest, but the environment was very different,” he said.
Dr Atellah reflected that even though he did not pursue priesthood, a vocation he once felt deeply called to, his current position in national healthcare leadership is equally a vocation.
He believes both paths offered distinct ways to serve and lead, guided by faith, discipline, and purpose.
“I do not know what changed, but what I believe is that priesthood is a vocation and what I do right now is also a vocation,” Atellah added.
Medical career
Dr Atellah earned a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Nairobi and went on to obtain a Master of Science in Clinical Pharmacology from Moi University and is pursuing an MPhil in Medical Law & Ethics at the University of Edinburgh.
In 2016, he joined the KMPDU, quickly rising to a leadership role by tackling key issues: delayed postings of medical interns, opposition to salary inequities, and strained training conditions
