The First Woman by Jennifer Makumbi follows the journey of Kirabo, a Ugandan girl from a rural village, as she searches for her identity to try and find a place in the world. We explore her experiences with family traditions, feminism (mwenkanonkano), relationships, and the changing social and cultural landscape of Uganda during the time of Idi Amin's presidency.

The complexities of identity and womanhood are understood through Kirabo's journey, as well as the folklore and mythology told to her, leads her to have a better understanding of what it means to be a woman.