Muktar Kedir ( om, Mutaar Kadiir; am, ሙክታር ከድር) is an

Ethiopian Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of ...

politician who was President of the

Oromia Region Oromia (Amharic: ) ( om, Oromiyaa) is a regional state in Ethiopia and the homeland of the Oromo people. The capital of Oromia is Addis Ababa. It is bordered by the Somali Region to the east; the Amhara Region, the Afar Region and the Benish ...

, the country's largest region, from 18 February 2014 to 20 September 2016.

Early life and education

Muktar was born in

Jimma Jimma () is the largest city in southwestern Oromia Region, Ethiopia. It is a special zone of the Oromia Region and is surrounded by Jimma Zone. It has a latitude and longitude of . Prior to the 2007 census, Jimma was reorganized administrative ...

. He received a degree from the Ethiopian Civil Service College in law and studied at

Azusa Pacific University Azusa Pacific University (APU) is a private, evangelical Christian university in Azusa, California. The university was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900, in Whittier, California, and began offering degrees in 1939. The uni ...

, He received an honorary doctorate from Kyungwon University in South Korea in August 2014.

Career

Muktar joined the

Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization The Oromo Democratic Party ( om, Paartii Demokraatawaa Oromoo, ODP) was a political party in Ethiopia, and part of the alliance with the Amhara National Democratic Movement, the South Ethiopian Peoples' Democratic Front and the Tigrayan Peoples ...

(OPDO) in the mid-1990s, and was appointed administrator of the

Jimma Zone Jimma is a zone in Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Jimma is named after former Kingdom of Jimma, which was absorbed into the former province of Kaffa in 1932. Jimma is bordered on the south by the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, t ...

in 1999, serving in the post until 2003. From 2008 to 2010 he served as Vice-President of the Oromia Region; muktar transformed the regions agriculture center, horticulture and expanded education into the faucet of the countries rural area under his presidency. He encouraged small business through government driven loan to micro enterprises and tried to solve the overwhelming unemployment of the youth. The region scored double digit economic development under his administration. In 2010 he was appointed Head of the Office of the Prime Minister and Minister for Cabinet Affairs. From 2012 to 2014 he was one of the country's three deputy prime Ministers, serving with

Debretsion Gebremichael Debretsion Gebremichael ( ti, ደብረጽዮን ገብረሚካኤል, pronunciation: ) is an Ethiopian politician and current president of the Tigray Region and chairman of Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). His position as titular head ...

and

Demeke Mekonnen Demeke Mekonnen Hassen ( amh, ደመቀ መኮንን ሀሰን; born 27 September 1963) is an Ethiopian politician, serving as the deputy prime minister of Ethiopia, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and vice-president of the Prosperity Party. He pr ...

, considered "a loyal politician and trusted ally of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn" was appointed minister for the civil service.

Regional presidency

Muktar succeeded the ailing

Alemayehu Atomsa Alemayehu Atomsa ( om, Alamaayyoo Atoomsaa; am, አለማየው አቶምሳ; 12 February 1969 – 6 March 2014) was an Ethiopian politician who served as the president of the Oromia Region, the largest of the country's regions, from 2010 ...

as President of the Oromia Region on 18 February 2014.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kedir, Muktar Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Presidents of Oromia Region Deputy Prime Ministers of Ethiopia Government ministers of Ethiopia 21st-century Ethiopian politicians Oromo Democratic Party politicians Azusa Pacific University alumni People from Jimma