Akoko
Akoko is a strong matriarchal figure in the novel. She is the first daughter of Chief Odero Gogni of Yimbo, and he loves his daughter dearly at a time when sons are typically more valued than daughters. Akoko grows up to be beautiful, intelligent, determined, and outspoken; her name literally means “the noisy one.” When Akoko is married to Owuor Kembo, chief of Sakwa, her father asks for thirty heads of cattle, an unheard-of bride price. In Sakwa, she bears three children but is criticized for not having more. Akoko and Chief Owuor Kembo love each other and build a marriage of mutual respect, leading Owuor Kembo to break tradition by not taking more wives. Akoko’s fearlessness and financial success create an enemy of her brother-in-law. When her husband dies, Akoko leaves Sakwa and returns to her ancestral home in Yimbo. Later, she joins her daughter Nyabera in moving to a Catholic mission where she helps raise her two grandchildren. Akoko is an impressive model of female empowerment and instills a strong work ethic and resilience in her family.
Owuor Kembo
Owuor Kembo is the chief and ruler of Sakwa. He is married to Akoko, and they have three children: Obura, Nyabera, and Owang’. Chief Owuor Kembo is a wise, considerate, and generous man. When he goes to Yimbo to marry Akoko, he falls in love with her and is willing to pay an extremely high bride price. He is proud, decisive and a true man of honor. After marrying Akoko, Owuor Kembo loses interest in other women and decides to remain monogamous, against tradition and expectations. When Akoko receives criticism for not having more children, he stands by her and defends her, respecting Akoko and seeking out her advice. Owuor Kembo is respected by his people and mourned deeply when he dies.
Obura
Obura is the firstborn son of Chief Kembo and Akoko. He is very hardworking and determined. He is next in line to rule Sakwa after his father. However, he has other ambitions. As a young man, he becomes curious about the outside world and the changes wrought by white colonialists. He wants to explore this new world, but his parents refuse, saying he has a duty to stay in the village and become chief. Obura runs away and joins the Kenya African Rifles, a British regiment in WWI. He dies during the war.
Nyabera / Maria
Nyabera is the daughter of Chief Kembo and Akoko. She grows up closer to home, unlike Obura, and gets married to Okumu. She struggles to conceive and most of her children die before or soon after birth. She has one surviving daughter who she names Awiti. After the death of her husband, she is given to another husband, Ogoma Kwach, whom she leaves after a while. Nyabera experiences much loss in her young life: her brothers, father, children, and husband. She tries hard to have another child but eventually gives up. She later decides to leave Sakwa and join the new religion introduced by the white colonialists. Her mother Akoko, daughter Awiti, and nephew Owuor join her on this new path of salvation. After she is baptized, she changes her name to Maria, and she is referred to as Maria for the rest of the novel.
Otieno Kembo
Otieno is the younger brother of Owuor and Akoko’s brother-in-law. He is his brother’s opposite in many respects. Otieno is jealous, lazy, and a clear embodiment of the patriarchal attitudes toward women to which Akoko is opposed. Eager for power but not willing to work for it, he lives off of his older brother’s generosity and creates conflict for Akoko and Owuor, criticizing Owuor for not marrying and joining his mother in accusing Akoko of witchcraft. When he becomes chief, he abuses his power, tries to steal Akoko’s wealth, and is eventually removed after Akoko makes a formal complaint with colonial officials.
Awiti / Elizabeth
Awiti is the only surviving child of Nyabera. She grows up on the mission with her mother, grandmother, and cousin. Awiti is determined and hardworking in school; she is at the forefront of a new generation of Kenyan women who are pursuing education and a career outside the home. Awiti, who after going to college takes the Christian name Elizabeth, becomes a teacher. She is referred to as Elizabeth throughout the rest of the novel. Elizabeth admires her grandmother Akoko and strives to emulate her strength and character. She marries Mark and they have seven children: Vera, Becky, Aoro, Tony, Odongo, Opiyo, and Mary.
Owuor Sino / Peter Owuor Kembo
Owour is the grandson of Owuor Kembo and Akoko, and the son of Owang’, Akoko’s second son. His father dies suddenly when he is only a baby and his uncle Otieno Kembo takes over as chief. To protect him from his uncle, Akoko sends him away, but fights to ensure that when he comes of age he’ll be able to take his rightful place as chief of Sakwa. Owuor grows up in the mission with Akoko, Nyabera, and Awiti and is a steady worker and attentive with Nyabera. As a teenager, he feels conflicted between his duty to win back his birthright and his desire to become a priest. Eventually, he chooses to become a priest, adopts the Christian name Peter, and later in life is ordained as a bishop.
Mark Anthony
Mark Anthony is Elizabeth’s husband; he is a Luo man from Seme. He meets Elizabeth after leaving the military while she’s studying to become a teacher. He works his way up to become a manager of a Farmers Association. Mark is a loving husband and strict father. He has high expectations for his children and pushes them to excel in school. This causes him to butt heads with his children at times; however, he loves them deeply, even though he is not openly affectionate.
Vero
Vero is the daughter of Elizabeth and Mark. Her twin sister is Becky. She is wise, intelligent, and passionate. Vero is highly motivated and fits into her parents' expectations of a model daughter, getting good grades and attending university. Originally quite close to her sister, she grows tired of Becky’s selfish behavior and they have a falling out. At university, feeling something is missing, she dives into learning more about Catholicism. This revelation leads her to join Opus Dei as a non-marrying member, preferring to dedicate her life to work and God. She remains dedicated to her family.
Becky
Becky is Vero’s twin sister. Becky is very beautiful and learns early on to use her looks to get what she wants. Becky feels that she is constantly compared to her sister and that she never measures up in her family’s eyes. Looking for more freedom and a more modern lifestyle, she leaves home to become a flight attendant. Through work she meets a Canadian pilot, and they get married and have two children, Alicia and Johnny. This decision is met with shock by her family. Becky and her husband divorce after he catches her having an affair; after that Becky raises the children on her own. Becky simultaneously admires and feels judged by Vera and they are never able to repair their relationship. Becky contracts AIDS during the epidemic and dies. Her children are adopted by Wandia and Aoro.
Aoro
Aoro is the eldest son of Elizabeth and Mark. As a child, he is confident and curious, causing him to act rashly and at times to get into trouble. After a confrontation with his dad as a teenager, he grows more responsible, applying himself at school and excelling. He meets Wandia in medical school and the two get married; they have four children (Daniel, Lisa, Mugo, Kipusa) and adopt his sister Becky’s children (Alicia and Johnny) after she dies.
Wandia
Wandia is from the Kikuyu tribe. Smart and ambitious, she meets Aoro in medical school. After dating for six years, they get married. Wandia juggles motherhood and pursuing a career in medicine, earning the distinction as the first Kenyan woman to earn a doctorate in medicine. Wandia has a strong spirit and develops strong friendships with Vera and her mother-in-law Elizabeth.
