The Kebena people (also spelled Qebena) are a Cushitic ethnic group found in the Gurage Zone of Ethiopia.
They are associated with the 13th century Islamic kingdom of Hadiya and have maintained the designation "Hadiya" to this day[3] Kebena's Garad is mentioned in the fifteenth century Emperor Zara Yaqob chronicle.
According to their tradition Kebena originally spoke the semitic Harari language of Harar however shifted to Cushitic timbaro.
After the fall of the Hadiya kingdom the Kebena people took upon themselves to restore the rule and order in the region under the Islamic sharia which was led by Hassan Enjamo.
[5] The Abyssinian commander Gobana Dacche in the late 19th century is stated to have ravaged the lands of Kebena during his invasion and divided Kebena lands among the Neftenya.