The Kipsigis are one of Kenya's 47 tribes and together with Nandi, Tugen, Marakwet, Sengwer, Pokot and Sebei, they make up the Kalenjin ethnic identity.

By late 19th century, their military efforts had seen the Kipsigis expulse the Massai, Luo and Abagusii and dispossessed their claim upon the land and looted their livestock and crops.

[5] Attempts to negotiate the return of the Masai captives, and their cattle failed, and provoked The British East Africa Protectorate government to organise an expedition, against the Sotik.

[5] The expedition was reported, in London, as follows:[5] In the spring of 1905, the Sotik tribe raided the Masai, capturing a number of women and children as well as a quantity of live stock.

I Column marched from Njoro to Neilson's Farm on the Maumountains, whence, after establishing an advance base, it moved on 5 June into Sotik through a trackless primeval forest.

As information respecting the enemy's numbers, fighting quality, and intentions was still vague, Major Pope-Hennessy decided to operate in one column until these points had been sufficiently cleared up by actual contact to justify movements with detachments, weak in themselves, but able to cover a wide extent of country.

0 (Soudanese) Company, 3rd King's African Rifles set a good example to the rest of the force in discipline, smartness, and keenness for work."

Mr. Rayne, Transport Officer.British East Africa called for peace negotiations between the Nandi and the British following a protracted 10-year long guerrilla resistance.

Upon their meeting, Richard Meinheirtzhagen shot Koitalel Araap Samoei point blank in the head thus ending the resistance.

[9] It was also as a result of both the assassination of Orkoiyot Koitalel Araap Samoei and the massacres of Sotik and Nandi that the British administration felt that all of Talai clansmen should be exiled.

This operation saw hundreds of Talai clan members living among the Kipsigis evacuated to Rusinga island in Kisumu where many of them died due to malaria and became subject to pedigree collapse as there were no unrelated choices for pairing.

[10] In 2023, Kenyan Professor Paul Chepkwony stated:"The Sotik massacre has been erased from the history books, not just of the United Kingdom but from Kenya as well.