Chege Character Analysis

Chege is Waiyaki’s father and an elder from Kameno. Chege is old and wise, a seer, and one of the few people who knows of the ancient prophecy that a savior will rise from the hills and save their people. Because their family is part of an ancient line and because of his son’s natural ability to lead, Chege believes that Waiyaki will be that savior. He sends his son to study with the missionaries in Siriana so that he may learn their secrets and use that knowledge to free the Gikuyu people from the colonists. Chege is dedicated to the tribe but recognizes that fighting in the old ways will no longer work—if the Gikuyu are to survive, they must learn the white people’s methods and tools, contrasting with Kabonyi’s belief that they must fight the white people with weapons and force their own people to follow only Gikuyu customs. Though he occasionally wonders if his son will fail, Chege dies of old age shortly after Waiyaki is circumcised, believing that now that his son is a man, he will be ready to step into his role as savior.