3000 BC to 900

Lake Turkana and the first herders

The shores of Lake Turkana hold some of the richest fossils of early humans, such as Turkana Boy, who lived about 1.5 million years ago. Around 3000 BC the first herders of cattle, sheep and goats arrive in the region. Later, Bantu speaking farmers settle the highlands and coast, and Nilotic herders, ancestors of peoples such as the Maasai and Kalenjin, move south.