Most people only know Syokimau as an estate in Mavoko, Machakos County.
But did you know Syokimau was a Kamba medicine woman and prophetess who lived in the 1800s, long before Kenya was colonized?
She was highly credited for prophesying the white man's coming and construction of the Railway line.
In her vision, she saw a long snake belching fire and smoke as it moved from waters to other waters. In it, there were people with skin like meat who spoke unintelligibly like birds and carried fire in their pockets.
Her prophecy was not believed until it came to pass in the 20th Century after the completion of Kenya-Uganda Railway that ran from Mombasa to Kisumu, the lakeside city then known as Port Florence. The people she saw were white people who spoke English and carried matchboxes in their pockets.
Among the Kamba people, she was also credited with the continuous victory among the warriors because she predicted impending attacks from other communities such as the Maasai and Gikuyu giving Kamba warriors ample time to prepare for the defense.
She is also claimed to had died twice.
For her great prophecy, Syokimau Railway Station and Syokimau estate in Machakos county were named after her.