The local people are mainly nomads of the Turkana tribe and derive their livelihood by looking after indigenous cattle. It used to be a vibrant town teeming with activity, business between locals and refugees from Sudan was booming. Today the town owes its growth to the presence of the United Nations agencies and other NGO’s that established bases in the region to assist victims of the Sudan civil war. 90km south of Lokichogio is Kakuma, one of the largest refugee camps in Kenya. Refugees from Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia the DRC, and several other surrounding countries can be found here.
