The group would claim nationwide notoriety in the months leading to the December 2007 election when militia members launched a terror campaign targeting opponents of the Orange Democratic Movement which was the main opposition party at the time.

[7] The Kenyan government at first did not take the activities of the Sabaot Land Defence Force seriously and chose to initially deploy police and paramilitary units to Mount Elgon District.

On 16 May 2008 the leader of SLDF Wycliffe Matakwei was cornered along with a band of fighters and eventually killed in the assault by army units.

[10] The Kenyan military has been criticized for the manner in which the operation was conducted particularly in the Chebyuk settlement area[11] with dozens of people arrested allegedly having been executed with many more missing.

The SLDF abducted many children who remain unaccounted for with many of the young men forcibly recruited being killed in fighting during the operation.