Kamau Character Analysis

Kamau is Kabonyi’s son as well as Waiyaki’s friend and eventual rival. Kamau studies under the white missionaries in Siriana with Waiyaki and Kinuthia for several years. After they are banned from the Siriana mission for having “pagan” parents, Kamau helps Waiyaki build and operate their new school for Gikuyu children in Kameno. However, Kamau grows jealous of Waiyaki’s growing influence amongst the villagers, and he’s even more jealous that Nyambura loves Waiyaki, since Kamau wants to marry Nyambura himself. When Kabonyi begins to hate Waiyaki because Waiyaki is more popular and influential than himself, Kamau follows suit and helps his father conspire against him. When Kabonyi tries to undermine Waiyaki in front of the tribe by claiming that his education corrupts the Gikuyu children with white culture, the people reject Kabonyi, and he is humiliated. Seeing his father’s shame, Kamau blames Waiyaki for his father’s suffering, even though Waiyaki never has any ill will toward Kabonyi. Kamau spies Waiyaki with Nyambura and leaving Joshua’s church, and he gives this information to Kabonyi, who ultimately uses it to accuse Waiyaki of being a traitor and destroy his reputation, thus defeating him.