The Turkana people inhabit an area bordered to the east by the western shores of Lake Turkana and to the west by the Ugandan escarpment. This escarpment reaches as far south as the Suguta Valley which brings them into close proximity with the Samburu and Pokot. To the north their territory is contained by the Kenyan borders with Sudan and Ethiopia. It is a vast tract of land encompassing mostly thorn scrub and semi desert, representing one of the harshest regions of Africa. As a result it is only sparsely populated by the Turkana (approximately 250,000 strong). They are a fiercely independent pastoralist tribe who have eked a living for centuries by herding their cattle across the expansive plains in search of whatever grazing that may be extracted from the unforgiving terrain. Of all tribes in the region, they are undoubtedly the hardiest and most resourceful. In addition to this, as warriors they are both feared and respected in equal measures by their neighbours. Inevitably, during periods of drought they resort to cattle raiding as a means of survival. The Samburu, their eastern neighbours bear the brunt of this, hence the bad blood that has always existed between them.

The Turkana represent the largest ethnic group of the Ateger speaking people, Nilotic in origin, it is thought they originated in Jieland, a western province of what is now Uganda. Legend has it that young Jie men in search of a stray ox wandered into the Tarash Valley across the Ugandan escarpment and there met an old woman of their tribe gathering wild fruit. Impressed by the rich, empty land and profusion of berries they returned to Jieland with their families to settle. The Jie and Turkana have been traditional allies ever since.