During the political uprising between Ethiopia and Somalia in the late 1970's Kebedech was taken as a prisoner and held in a labor camp for nearly ten years. It was at this time that Kebedech found writing poetry to be her most valued resource, seeing the beauty and power behind words. Kebedech is most noted for her paintings in the visual art world and much of this work deals with issues of identity, memory, the human condition, and personal discovery.