The Marakwet are one of the groups forming the ethnolinguistic Kalenjin community of Kenya, they speak the Markweta language. The Marakwet live in five territorial sections namely Almoo, Cherangany, Endoow, Sombirir and Markweta. Cutting across these territorial groups are a number of clans to which each Marakwet belongs. There were 119,969 Marakwet people in 2019.
Most Marakwet today live in the Elgeyo-Marakwet County, a notably beautiful and picturesque part of Kenya. It is bounded to the east by the Kerio River at 1000 m above sea level, which runs through a small branch of the Great Rift Valley. To the west it includes almost the entire Cherang’any hills which rise to 3300 m above sea level west of the Marakwet escarpment. Significant populations of individuals of Marakwet heritage are also resident in the Trans Nzoia, and Uasin Gishu counties, as well as in other towns in Kenya. Others have moved to live in places as far away as Australia, Southern Africa, the Middle East, and United States.
A large majority of Marakwet lead a simple rural life characterized by mixed small scale farming. They grow mostly maize, potatoes, beans and vegetables in the highlands.