Untold Story; The Story Behind Syokimau

The heroic tale of the Kamba people, which has been handed down through word of mouth from generation to generation, has been translated verbatim here. The incident took place between the 18th and the 19th century, and it is true. A distinct version of the narrative has been told to many people, primarily of the Kamba tribe. The plot, however, stays the same.

Table of Contents

• Medicine Woman Kamba
• Syokimau Predicted Attacks
• Syokimau was Consulted For Solutions
• Syokimau Issued Warnings
• Syokimau Sacrilegious Act
• Syokimau Birth and Early Life
• Syokimau Miracles and Prophecies.
• Prophecy 1: The Colonisation by White Rulers
• Prophecy 2: The Gun and Match Box Era.
• Prophecy 3: The Construction of the Major Kenya-Uganda Railway Line and the Train
• Prophecy 4: The Generation X
• The Death of Syokimau

“Keep this in your heart and pass it to the future generations” 

What is the story of Syokimau?

The legendary Kamba healer and prophetess Syokimau was born in the 1800s in Iveti Hills, which is now Machakos town. According to rumors, she emerged from a tree since no one knew who her parents, family, clan, or even kinsmen were. Many questioned if she was the chosen one or if she had been sent from heaven.

The Kamba people held that she was attacked by a maimu, a kind ghost, when she was just a small girl, and that this incident is what gave her the power to prophesy. She had the ability to foretell upcoming attacks by nearby tribes like the Maasai and Kikuyu as well as which tribe would prevail in a conflict.

She made sacrifices for the troops' safety and offered prayers to a particular tree known as the ithembo, which served as a shrine for the soldiers. The prophetess foresaw British colonization, warning her people that "those with weird skin" would brutally attack them, seize control of their territory, and force them to worship their (British) god in place of their own.

What is the origin of the name Syokimau?

The name's bearer ruled supreme long before Kenya as a nation existed or any of her territory had been measured and documented as titled property.

Everyone believe that the name refers to an ancient Kamba medicine woman who lived in the 1800s, despite the fact that fact, fiction, and myth have blended to create a narrative.

Conflicting accounts of Syokimau's life exist, and occasionally her name is stated alongside that of Masaku, the fabled seer who gave Machakos town its name.

Syokimau was a strong medicine woman, a witch, and a prophet, according to Wairiuko Ndungu, a researcher and PhD history student at Mount Kenya University.

In Iveti Hills, 8.4 kilometers from Machakos town, Wairiuko conducted research and tracked down some of the prophet's ancestors.

Iveti Hills, named after the Kamba word for women, Iveti, was aptly named amid the bloody intercommunity conflicts between the Akamba and the Maasai.

During that time, the region surrounding Machakos served as a battleground between the Akamba, who were expert archers, and the pastoral Maasai, who preferred the spear as a weapon of choice.

Women and children had to be taken from the battlefield by conventional rules of engagement since they were considered booty of war.

The women and children were kept out of harm's way in the hills, where any approaching enemies could be watched on from a distance, whenever the communities in what is now known as Machakos engaged in battle.

Syokimau Predicted Attacks

Regarding Syokimau's fable, some historians assert that she was born at Kitunduni Village in the Iveti Hills.

In his essay Syokimau, the Akamba Famous Prophetess, Wairiuko notes that one of the legends traces the woman's ancestry to the hills.

She was born and nurtured in Kitunduni Village on the Iveti Hills of Machakos County, according to Mzee Thomas Mbithi Muli, 76, a relative of Syokimau, long before the arrival of the white males in Kenya. He places her birth year as the 1820s.

He adds that she resided on these slopes with a view of Kiima Kimwe, where her contemporary and opponent also practiced medicine and possessed supernatural abilities.

Syokimau first gained notoriety at Iveti, where she won the admiration of the warriors for her ability to foresee Maasai attacks well in advance, giving the Akamba plenty of time to prepare for defense.

In addition to foretelling the attacks, Syokimau would make sacrifices and prayers on behalf of the Akamba warriors before any battles with their neighbors.

The Akamba occasionally waged war on their adversaries and staged raids all the way to Magadi, according to Wairiuko. These attacks were employed to acquire livestock, which at the time served as both a kind of money and a symbol of status.

Syokimau's reputation and notoriety spread widely as a result of the cattle raids' success, and her contemporaries showed her respect. Athi River's prophetess Syonguu was so moved by Syokimau that she gave the name of a settlement in her domain to her.

The prophetess' name is still used for Syokimau in Athi River, where colonists built a railroad station.

Syokimau was Consulted For Solutions

Wairiuko recounts, "When the plague first appeared, the Akamba turned to Syokimau for advice. According to Mzee Ndeti, 96, the father of Kathiani MP Wavinya Ndeti, Syonguu, an Akamba prophetess, gave the location known as Syokimau near Athi River its name in honor of Syokimau.

The Akamba would either launch an attack or postpone a raid on their adversaries based on Syokimau's recommendations. According to Mzee Ndeti, most of the conflicts against the Maasai took place on the outskirts of what is currently Mavoko Municipality. The construction of the railhead there in 1899 led to the expansion of Athi-River.

Some elders think Syokimau had great power and frequently traveled to locations like Kilungu to provide her services.

In a passage attributed to Wairiuko, retired history teacher Cletus Muia of Kilungu explains how Syokimau was frequently asked to make rain or prophesy in towns like Kilungu, Mbooni, and Kathonzweni during difficult times.

The history teacher, however, puts a twist to the story by stating that the woman was actually from Kibauni Village in Makueni County and was not actually born in Iveti Hills.

According to Muia, "Villagers in Kilungu would not dare leave their kids unattended for fear of being kidnapped by Syokimau's goons and transported to the hills of Kibauni to be sacrificed to the gods."

According to legend, Syokimau would typically sit on a hide with a sacrifice before vanishing into the earth and reappearing alone as he prayed for the drought to stop.

As soon as this occurred, raindrops would begin pelting the previously dry ground. She had the ability to bring forth life and death, which is why she was admired and respected. The teacher claims that she occasionally intervened to safeguard the neighborhood.

The renowned Kamba prophetess was allegedly born and nurtured in Kibauni, although the location's chief dismisses this claim, calling it a myth.

According to Muia, Syokimau foresaw and warned her people about the arrival of the white man, and she is credited with predicting the arrival of colonialists and the railway.

She warned her populace that outsiders will ride in airplanes' bellies and communicate in birdlike tones (in English). They would travel by train (a serpent with many legs) while on land, according to Muia.

According to Syokimau's prophecy, this snake will have its head in Lake Victoria, then known as Nam Lolwe, and its tail in the Indian Ocean.

Syokimau Issued Warnings

Also, she had warned that some of the visitors would arrive by water (ship) and would have fire in their pockets (matchboxes). In all of Kamba country, these prophesies are repeated in the Akamba oral traditions.

Syokimau worked as a healer as well. She banished evil spirits and used plants to treat the sick.

She regrettably passed away childless since no man would marry such a strong woman. According to Mzee Muli, Syokimau passed away and was buried on the Iveti Hills.

Her burial is now a protected communal resource where sacrifices to the ancestors are still made. It has been transformed into an ithembo (shrine) that nature has reclaimed.

In order to guarantee that this cultural treasure won't ever be privatized, the Ministry of Lands examined the shrine and granted a title document in the name of the neighborhood around Kitunduni.

Witches who want to restore their power and make promises to their gods frequently congregate in the midst of an ithembo where a huge Muumo (Mugumo) tree of unknown antiquity currently stands strategically.

And specific rites must be carried out in order for someone to visit it. It is said that anyone who tries to chop a tree in the shrine or desecrates the shrine in any way passes away unexplainably.

Syokimau Sacrilegious Act

According to reports, a young woman went to the ithembo two years ago to make a sacrifice for her ancestors. This was seen as sacrilegious because, in accordance with Akamba tradition, a woman who is pregnant should not be anywhere near an ithembo.

Two months later, according to the locals, she allegedly committed suicide after going against long-standing Akamba customs and entering the shrine.

While some people, like Muli, think Syokimau was an Athaisu clan member, others connect her to the Ndambuki clan. Nonetheless, people will continue to mention her name for a very long time.

Inspiring both awe and sadness in equal measure, the echoes of her history will continue to haunt Akamba land for many years to come. Anybody whose property has lately been destroyed will find the name indescribable. Such is the influence a name has.

Syokimau Birth and Early Life

Syokimau was born in Kenya many years before it was colonized. That had to be in the 17th or 18th centuries. There are rumors that she was not born! She descended from a tree. No one was familiar with her parents, family, clan, or even kinsmen. Was she a gift from God? The rescuer? An angel? There are still a lot of unsolved questions.

Her early existence is still a mystery, but when she was a young girl, she was possessed by "maimu," or good demons. She began noticing things that other people missed. She had precognitive abilities. A Black messiah, she was. She developed into a prophetess. She started her future-telling in this manner.

Syokimau Miracles and Prophecies.

Predictions made by Syokimau were more accurate than those made by any statistical or scientific tool. She was regularly consulted by the community on all matters, and she could offer advice depending on how things would turn out. 

All ailments would be cured by her natural remedy. She allegedly had dreams in which she received revelations regarding herbal remedies. She would search for the herbs in the fields early in the morning. Anyone utilized the herbs experienced a miraculous recovery!

The Kamba community would consult her before going to battle during animal raids. When the society would succeed or fail, the prophetess would foretell it. She would then direct the group toward the "ithembo" (a large evergreen tree designated as a shrine). 

Then they would sacrifice a ram or a he-goat in order to make prayers to the Kamba God and their ancestors for the warriors to return from battle unscathed. She used to bless each warrior as well as the bows and arrows. The Warriors would then engage in battle and return victorious. The enemy's animals had to be captured and taken captive in order to win.

Syokimau's propensity for foretelling the future is one of the main reasons why the Kamba community holds her in such high regard. Some recorded historical occurrences that the prophetess foretold occurred years after her passing. 

The arrival of the white overlords, the building of the significant Kenya-Uganda railway line and the train, the age of the gun and matchbox, and finally the generation X are among the prophesies she made.

Prophecy 1: The Colonisation by White Rulers

One day, Syokimau was seated on her three-legged stool following dinner. Around her, people gathered. They like hearing her tell stories. She immediately began screaming. She was perceived as being in considerable suffering. 

She started speaking right away, yelling, "I see them, they are coming." Who was she referring to? The Maasai, Everybody was terrified. I saw folks with strange skin, said Syokimau. It appears to have porridge burns. They have crimson skin. It appears to have been peeled off.

Who they are From among the crowd, someone yelled. 

They will beat you cruelly, Syokimau added. "They are your deadliest enemies. These men will seize your property and your money. You will be made to perform labor on their estates. They'll murder you. 

They'll have affairs with your wives. Your husbands will be taken away by them. They will desecrate your sanctuaries and propagate wickedness. Your God will be mistreated, and you'll be made to worship their god. These guys are bad. 

They'll oppress you by using your people. They will rule by division. You are done, my sons and daughters! Having said this, Syokimau nodded off.

This prophecy was fulfilled in 1844, when Europeans began exploring the interior with the help of two German missionaries named Johannes Rebmann and Johann Ludwig Krapf. Their purpose was to propagate Christianity. 

The nation eventually gradually sparked the interest of other explorers. The rise of New Imperialism at the beginning of the 19th century intensified European interest in the area. Via the Imperial British East Africa Company, the British colonized Kenya and Uganda.

Prophecy 2: The Gun and Match Box Era.

The next morning, Syokimau awoke energized. Still gathering around her house were people. One individual questioned her about her day's activities after she had some oatmeal. She appeared to be insane. "I tell you, those men will be friends of fire," she added. They'll keep it with them in their pockets. They'll slurp it up with their teeth. They will move around in burning cows. A fire will also be in their hands.

Later, when the white man arrived in Kenya, matchboxes were interpreted as "fire" in their pockets. smokes were burning in their mouths. Cows that created smoke were mistaken for cars because they smoked. And lastly, they held firearms and pistols in their hands.

Prophecy 3: The Construction of the Major Kenya-Uganda Railway Line and the Train

A week later, Syokimau experienced another possession. She began talking about a snake right after dinner! She yelled, "I saw a snake, and the snake is coming!" From the hut, people fled. Snakes were common in that time period. 

They believed that the dwelling contained a snake. She added, "This snake is quite long and moves from one body of water to another. "My dear folks, a very long snake is coming and it will go from one body of water to another. This snake will be crawling across two man-made, hard, straight stones. People will be transported from one side to the other.

In 1896, the Brits started building the railway, fulfilling this prophecy. The British sought to build infrastructure and connect the coast (the first water, the Indian Ocean) to Lake Victoria after absorbing Kenya and Uganda (the second water). They imported the labor and the materials from India.

And probably for this reason, Syokimau is the name of one of the railroad stations.

Prophecy 4: The Generation X

The same evening, Syokimau foretold the arrival of a humorous generation. “Look!” "Generation is coming," she remarked. They will speak in a weaver bird voice. They won't respect their elders and parents. 

They won't be afraid of taboos. They will disregard customs. These youngsters will assert that they are knowledgeable. You'll be surprised by them. Even houses will be constructed on top of one another. After finishing his speech, Syokimau went to sleep.

The current generation, which disrespects elders, traditions, and taboos, is the fulfillment of this prophecy. Skyscrapers and apartments are referred to as "houses on top of one another" by Syokimau.

The Death of Syokimau

The passing of Prophetess Syokimau was marked by numerous paranormal events. This proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Syokimau was not your typical woman. She was a legend. a prophetess chosen. a female chief of the Kamba tribe.

One morning, the neighbors awoke to a startling surprise. Syokimau was vanished. She was gone. The neighbors were alarmed by this. They had so many questions, but none of them dared to voice them. Why?

Was she really dead?

Why didn’t she prophesy about her death?

People were formerly dumped into the forests after passing away in those days. After that, hyenas would eat them. Syokimau was killed, but her body was left in the house for two days in the hopes that it would bring the villagers good luck. Nothing, however, altered. After carrying out the required ceremonies, they had to dispose of it because it had begun to decompose.

At the precise spot where the body had been dumped in the forest two days prior, someone was overheard sobbing. There, the neighbors ran. Syokimau was there. She was shouting while she prayed. They observed from a safe distance. 

She took a quick look at them when she spotted them and noticed that they were all terrified. They felt a wave of fear wash over them. She then screamed out in a loud voice, "It's me, I'm not dead, I'm alive," or "Ninyie, ndi mukw'u, ni thayu." To see her alive again made them all delighted. They went with her to the village.

Syokimau endured for a further two seasons (approximately two years). Even though she was quite elderly at the time, she continued to work miracles, heal patients, and prophesy.

She was rained on one day during the rainy season. She passed away at once after collapsing. Her body was left in her hut for a period of two days. It had passed away. After the customary rites, she was once again cast into the wilderness.

 The girls were gathering firewood a week later when they noticed an elderly woman coming toward them. Syokimau was there. She asked them, " “eitu mwakya- How are you, young girls?" in her greeting. They all uttered the same response: "Aaaa- we are alright." She next made her way to the settlement. The locals welcomed her with open arms. 

She received a calabash full of porridge from them. After a few conversations, she drank it all and retreated to her hut. Then she blessed and thanked them. She was worn out because it was late at night. She then went to bed.

She never discussed her near-death experiences during this entire period. Nobody ever had the guts to challenge her. She didn't get up the next morning. When her neighbors visited, they discovered her dead. She had passed away facing the sky with her lips open, in contrast to the prior times. 

This incidence was unusual. That was understood to imply that she had lost her soul while conversing with the ancestors. Her last demise was this one. She didn't return after this incident.

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