The Sabaot are one of the nine sub-tribes of the Kalenjin of Kenya and Uganda. The Sabaot in turn are divided into six communities largely identified by their dialects. These dialects of the Sabaot language are the Pok, Somek, Mosop, Kony, Bong’omek and Sabiny (Sebei). Being resident around Mount Elgon, the original homeland of most Kalenjin, the Sabaot are seen as the keepers of the authentic Kalenjin tradition. They and the area they inhabit are often referred to as Kapkugo (meaning grandparents/ancestors place) by other Kalenjin.

The Sabaot people were among the Southern Nilotic speaking communities, i.e. proto-Kalenjin, who moved into the western highlands and Rift Valley region of Kenya around 700 BC. Their homelands lay somewhere near the common border between Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia . Their arrival in Kenya occurred shortly before the introduction of iron to East Africa. Contemporary studies, supported by a number of historical narratives from the various Kalenjin sub-tribes point to Tulwetab/Tuluop Kony (Mount Elgon) as their original point of settlement in Kenya.