Solomon Biru Kedjela was a proud man who never shied away from unapologetically speaking his mind. Kedjela was born in 1977 in the small town of Gulliso, West Wellega. He was a loving husband and father of two who dreamed of a free Oromia for his children. Kedjela was a man of many trades and believed a school system could not educate him about things he could learn himself and thus didn’t finish his college education. Soon after leaving college, Kedjela became known to his peers and community for his outspokenness and lack of fear of people’s opinions of him. It did not take long before his candor became a target of the corrupt regime he preached about.
He knew the outcome of speaking against Ethiopia’s corrupt government but refused to give in to their scare tactics — until they intensified and he became concerned about his family’s safety. That is when Kedjela decided to go into hiding until things cooled down. He kept a low profile by floating between Nekemte, East Wellega and the capital city, Addis Ababa, for about 6 months until he missed his family and decided it was time to go back to Guliso and be with them. It was just a matter of time before word got out that he was back in town.
On December 10th , 2020, the police invaded Kedjela’s home and arrested him with no probable cause, warrant, or charges. Four days later on December 14th , 2020, the police took him from the jail and returned him to his home where they brutally murdered him in front of his wife, children, and elderly parents. Now his family is not only left to cope with the unjust murder of their beloved Solomon Biru Kedjela, but also the trauma of witnessing his demise.
This is the horrific story of Solomon Biru Kedjela.
“Humans of Oromia are being brutally beaten, raped, murdered and held in detention centers for just simply being Oromo. Follow us as we take you on a journey through their untold horror stories.”