Not one to be stymied by subjugation in uncertain times, e'Muthembwa forges his own path through the minefields of superstition, colonialism and pleasures of the flesh in order to benefit his expanding community. Modest and humble by nature, he becomes a firebrand for change as he grapples with inequality and illiteracy. The son of a poor family, he is sensitive to the vicissitudes of rural life in Kenya as he valiantly struggles to spread education and lead the community in which he lives, eventually becoming the pillar of Kithongoto.