In plot development the story starts within the same community living in two different valleys

Kameno and Makuyu separated by River Honia. The story revolves around a young man called
Waiyaki who is the protagonist in the novel and who is destined to bring change in the process of
trying to impact peace in his community. This is reflected from the time he stops the fight between
Kamau and Kinuthia and reminds them of the promise they had made the previous day of being
friends. His father Chege tells him that there will come a savior who would bring peace and save the
people and perhaps Waiyaki does not understand who his father is referring to and neither does he
realise even when the story end as he assumes it could be Kabonyi who is always against him but his
is not the case because Chege clearly says that Mugo had said a son born in his leneage shall come to
save the people and it happens that Chege and Waiyaki are related to him.

Chege tells Waiyaki to go and learn the ways of the white man but he is warned against following his
ways for he should remain royal to his tribe. Joshua and Kabonyi adapts the white man's ways in
Christianity and division from here start to grow gradually between Kameno and Makuyu. Kemeno is
for the loyal people to the tribe while Makuyu is for betrayers of the tribe that is those who converts
to Christianity. Muthoni who is Joshua's daughter becomes rebellious to her father's orders on
clitoridectomy and decides to undergo circumcision and her father disowns her and later she dies in
the process.

Due to Muthoni's death, division intensifies as Kabonyi who has been hand in hand with Joshua in
Christianity breaks away from it and goes back to his tribal ways. The missionaries also expel the
children whose parents still uphold the tradition of circumcision from their schools and in the process
Waiyaki is expelled. He decides to open schools for the children which is taken with alot of
appreciation by his community apart from Kabonyi who is always against him.

Waiyaki becomes so preoccupied in passing knowledge for he knows it is the only way to eliminate
the white man. Some villagers start conspiring behind closed doors eventually forming a secrete
organization known as Kiama whose main purpose is to ensure the purity of the tribe and Waiyaki is
chosen among the members but he resigns for he is unable to manage the school and carry on the
duties of Kiama and from this point Kabonyi starts to accuse him of betraying the tribe. Waiyaki
finally succumbs to Kabonyi's tricks and he blames himself for falling to bring unity in his community.
Finally the story ends with Waiyaki and Nyambura being held at the hands of Kiama who would
decide their fate for betraying the tribe which is not true for Waiyaki's Main purpose is to bring unity