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Kaiea was the eldest of four sons of Teitimararoa, the sixth high chief of Butaritari and Makin, and he became the seventh after Teitimararoa died in July 1852. Three Protestant missionary families from the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) called at Butaritari several weeks after, en route to the Marshall Islands. They were the first Christian missionaries in the Gilbert Islands. With the help of Richard Randell, a British coconut oil trader who resided on Butaritari, the missionaries arranged an audience with Kaiea. They noted that Kaiea was around 14 and was advised by four of his uncles. Randell interpreted as they explained their evangelical work and presented Kaiea with gifts of Bibles, books, a large red blanket and a letter of introduction from Kamehameha IV. Although Kaiea listened politely, the missionaries were rebuffed after the high chief asked them if Christianity would interfere with their practice of polygamy. Arranged marriages were important political tools that helped forge alliances between prominent families; Kaiea himself would amass 20 wives, and a relative of his later became Randell's main wife in 1860.

Kaiea reigned for 27 years and proved to be a strong and feared ruler who succeeded in suppressing revolts. His three younger brothers—Teitei, Bakatokia and Bureimoa—ardently supported him, since a chief's brothers were dependent on him for their own status over other branches of the family. Bureimoa, the youngest, nominally presided over Makin and Kaiea used him to assassinate his political rivals. Kaiea felt that Teitei might not be strong enough to rule, and thought Bakatokia, though courageous, not capable enough; Bureimoa was widely regarded as the most promising successor to his brother.

• Grimble, Arthur (1989). Maude, H. E. (ed.). Tungaru Traditions. University of Hawaiʻi Press. ISBN 9780824882235.
• Knudson, Kenneth E. (1987). "Butaritari and Abemama: Contrasting Gilbertese Adaptations to European Contact". In Donald, Leland (ed.). Themes in Ethnology and Culture History. Folklore Institute: Archana Publications. pp. 397–467.
• Lambert, Bernt (1978). "Uean abara: the high chiefs of Butaritari and Makin as kinsmen and office-bearers". In Gunson, Neil (ed.). The Changing Pacific. Oxford University Press. pp. 80–93. ISBN 978-0-19-550518-4.