Waiyaki
Waiyaki is an ambitious young man who tries to save his people from the white man by building schools and providing education. His eyes are his most striking feature; they seem to have "a light that appeared to pierce your body, seeing something beyond you, into your heart." Because his gaze is described as demanding, leaving others no choice but to obey him, he becomes the natural leader of his tribe. In fact, he is told by his father Chege that he is the last of a long line of people going back to the gods, which means that he is chosen to become a savior. Following his father's wish, he attends Joshua's Christian school, where he is one of the best students. After leaving the school, he uses the knowledge gained from the occupying powers to build his own schools and to provide education to his people. At first, he is praised for his hard work and dedication—indeed, he is considered a savior. However, he soon learns that education is not enough to achieve his ultimate goal of uniting the people of the two rival ridges. He realizes too late that the council of the elders, led by Kabonyi, with its traditional structures and ideas, is more powerful and respected than his ideas of change. Moreover, his falling in love with Nyambura, the other daughter of Joshua, is considered an act of treason. Eventually, instead of uniting the rivaling people, his actions lead to a hostility that is stronger than ever.
Chege
Chege is Waiyaki's father. He is a well-respected elder of his tribe, presiding over a range of ceremonies. He also knows all the prophecies, including the invasion of the white people with their clothes like butterflies, and a savior rising to face this threat. However, his people did not listen to his warnings, which made him weary. He now hopes that Waiyaki, as the obvious savior, will be more successful in dealing with the encroaching Europeans.
Joshua
Joshua represents the influence of the white man and is one of Waiyaki's antagonists. He is "a middle-aged man who always preached in sharp ringing tones that spoke of power and knowledge." He was one of the first people to be converted to Christianity, seeking refuge in Siriana because he feared the revenge and anger of his people, who felt betrayed. At Siriana he learns how to read and write, and he becomes increasingly religious until he is almost a fanatic, renouncing his tribe's rituals and traditions. Considering his people to live in darkness, he is dedicated to converting as many people as possible to save them from hell. Seeing some of his converted Christians return to the old traditions of magic and circumcision made him even more aggressive, following the words of the Bible to the letter. As a consequence, he punishes every sin, even if that means beating his wife, because he feels he is executing God's will and justice. Moreover, he disowns his daughter Muthoni when she follows through with her own circumcision.
Muthoni
Muthoni is one of Joshua's daughters. However, instead of following the Christian way of life, she follows the traditional path and chooses to get circumcised to become a woman. She questions the criticism of her father, who is also circumcised but was allowed to convert to Christianity anyway. Thus, she exposes the hypocrisy of the Christian leaders who consider circumcision a sin. When Joshua disowns her after learning about her plan, she stays with her aunt, who supports her. However, the circumcision leads to medical complications, and even though Waiyaki managed to get her to a hospital, she dies after claiming that she sees Jesus.
Nyambura
Nyambura is Muthoni's younger sister, but not as revolutionary because she is not as independent. While Muthoni openly rebels against her father, Nyambura follows him because she fears his anger. Losing her sister deeply troubles her, as she lost the only companion she had. Because Waiyaki was close to Muthoni, she feels like discussing Muthoni's mutiny with him but she never gets the opportunity. Eventually, however, Waiyaki is attracted to her and falls in love with her. This secret affair seals his downfall: the people condemn Waiyaki's relationship with their Christian enemy.
Kabonyi
Kabonyi represents the council of the elders and, therefore, the conservative forces within the community. He detests Waiyaki for many reasons. First, he resents his rise to power and influence because he considers him to be "a mere boy" with silly ideas. Second, he feels that Waiyaki takes the people's attention away from him, even though he should be respected more due to his age and experience. Moreover, he would have wanted his son Kamau to lead the people. Finally, knowing the prophecy, he fears Waiyaki may be the one sent to save the people. Eventually, however, Kabonyi is able to punish Waiyaki during a council meeting, effectively ending the struggle for reconciliation.
Kinuthia
A close and loyal friend of Waiyaki's and a teacher at Marioshoni. Kinuthia loves Waiyaki and thinks he is a great leader, but he often warns his friend of imminent trouble. At Waiyaki's final stand, he is nearly crippled with fear and foreboding; he can say nothing to dissuade the Kiama from punishment.
Kamau
Kabonyi's son and peer of Waiyaki; he is a teacher at Marioshoni. Kamau is extremely jealous of Waiyaki, especially when he realizes Nyambura loves Waiyaki. He works with his father to topple Waiyaki from his perch of power.
Livingstone
The British missionary who founds Siriana and carries on a more than twenty-five-year outreach in the ridges. He is now corpulent and old, but he is still devoted to getting rid of circumcision, which, despite his claim to be enlightened, he considers to be a barbaric practice.
Miriamu
Joshua's wife and mother to Muthoni and Nyambura. She is a devout Christian, but she still has a Gikuyu spirit inside. She loves her daughters and weeps for their sorrows, but she believes that they must obey their father.
