Cege wa Kibiru

Cege wa Kibiru or Mugo wa Kibiru was a famous seer in Gikuyu land who prophesized the arrival of the white man in Gikuyu land before their arrival. His prophecy was that there would come people who would have bodies like kiengere (a small light coloured frog which lives in water) and whose dress would resemble ciĩuhuruta (butterflies). They would carry magical sticks which would produce fire. Further he prophesized the coming of the railway line that would stretch from one body of water in the east to another in the west and the train which he described as an iron snake that would spit fire. Further this snake would ‘eat’ people and ‘vomit’ them out. He also predicted the coming of the famine that would signal the coming of the strangers with bodies like kiengere.

References:

* Kenyatta, Jomo - Facing Mt. Kenya (1938)
* Mugia, D. Kinuthia - Ũrathi wa Cege wa Kibiru (1979)