Painting - Re-doing kitchen cabinets

Eight years ago we stained our red oak kitchen cabinets with a misty white stain and sealed them with two coats of sand and seal. We did not put knobs on the doors or drawers and now have an ugly mess where our hands have worn the finish off of the cabinets and have left dark stains on the wood that won't come off. I have decided to paint the cabinets white so that I don't have to go through the trouble of stripping them. Can I do this , or will I have to strip them after all? If so what steps should I take? How do I clean them, what is the best primer and paint and should I sand them before priming. I really want to do this right.
Thanks for any advice.

You can paint your cabinets without stripping, as a matter of fact that is what I would do. First clean them well, with TSP or Dirtex, when dry sand them with a 220 grit, just to scuff the surface, prime with an oil based primer/undercoater. When dry lightly sand again,remove dust, putty any holes and caulk where it needs (trim, etc)with a paintable latex caulk, and paint with a quality paint from a pro paint store. Oil or latex is up to you, oil being more durable and easier to keep clean (my recomendation) or semi-gloss or gloss latex being easier to use and clean tools.

Hope this helps,