Bulcha Demeksa,the political scientist , who passed away today at the age of 94, has huge marks in the economic and political movement of Ethiopia. He served as Deputy Minister of Finance during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie and as the World Bank’s Representative for Africa. He was employed by the United Nations and served in various countries.
Bulcha was born in 1923 in the West Welega Zone, to his father, Demeksa Senbeto, and his mother, Nasisie Serda. Although his father died when he was only young, his uncle, Gobu Senbeto, raised him and did everything he could to ensure he received education. He received his primary education at Gimbi Adventist and his secondary education at Kuyera Adventist.
He graduated from Addis Ababa University with degrees in economics and law. He was one of the top 10 students to graduate from the university then, and went to the United States to pursue his master’s degree at Syracuse University before returning to his country. Upon returning to Ethiopia, he left his mark in the field of economics. Bulcha is the founder of Awash Bank, which is considered one of the founding fathers of modern private commercial banks.
He later joined Ethiopian politics, investing his experience in economics to make a peaceful movement. He left his mark on politics by founding and serving as the chairman of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement. He also served as a member of parliament for five years representing his party.
Bulcha has shown his firm stance on the unity of Ethiopia in his speeches at different times. Expressing this stance, he says, “I want Ethiopia to remain united as it is, as it was; this is what benefits everyone.” Bulcha says that personal identity should never conflict with national identity. He shares his own experience that it is possible to work for the development of the country by harmonizing both, saying, “My Oromoness and my Ethiopianness have never clashed; for me."