Turkana tribe is the second largest pastoral community in Kenya. This nomadic community moved to Kenya from Karamojong in eastern Uganda. The Turkana tribe occupies the semi Desert Turkana District in the Rift valley province of Kenya. Like the Maasai and tribes, Turkana people keep herds of cattle, goats and Camel. Livestock is a very important part of the Turkana people. Their animals are the main source of income and food. However, recurring drought in Turkana district adversely affect the nomadic livelihood.
Like the Maasai and Samburu, the Turkana people are very colorful. Turkana people adorn themselves with colorful necklace and bracelets. Their decorations are made of red, yellow and brown colored beads. Cattle’s rustling is common in Turkana district and round its border with Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia. Tribes inhabiting this area are often involved in tribal fights for livestock and water. Cattle’s rustling has been a common phenomenon for many decades and appears to be a sort of cultural game for the nomadic communities living in parts of the Rift valley and its surroundings. With the proliferation of small arms, cattle’s rustling has become more dangerous and the Kenyan government has intervened in solving the problem.
With a population of about 250,000 people, the Nilotic language speaking Turkana people have successfully maintained their tradition compared to other tribes in Kenya. Turkana men cover their head with mud, which is then painted blue and decorated with ostrich and other feathers. The main garment for the Turkana people is a woolen blanket. The type of attire worn by a woman is determined by her marital status. Body tattooing was traditionally used to indicate achievement in the community. Men or warriors who killed enemies were tattooed to indicate what they have done for the community. Most of people in Turkana tribe adhere to traditional beliefs while 5 to 15% are Christians but very few are Muslims.
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