The Rendille people are traditionally pastoralists keeping goats, sheep, cattle, donkeys, and camels. Their nomadic lifestyle is become less prominent with the development of boreholes and centers that allow a more permanent existence. Traditional dress includes beautiful beads worn by the women around the neck, wrists, and ankles. Children can often be seen without clothing. The moran wears colorful shukas (clothe wrapped around their bodies) and colors their hair with a mud/mineral mixture. Men often wear a wrapped cloth rather than trousers. Western clothing is becoming more popular, but more among the men than the women.
Rites of passage include the young men (moran) living in the bush, learning traditional skills, and undergoing traditional circumcision. Men marry after circumcision and the time of becoming a moran is as young as about eighteen to twenty years. Young girls are often "booked" at a very early age by older men. They marry as young as ten or twelve years. They learn skills of women and undergo female circumcision (female genital mutilation, FGM) prior to marriage. Polygamy is part of the tradition.
According to a study from 1973, out of the 15 Rendille clans, only 9 are considered authentic. The other six are counted as mixed or hybrid clans of both Rendille and Samburu descent.
