Rendille traditionally practice infibulation. According to Grassivaro-Gallo and Viviani, the custom was first brought to the Horn region from the Arabian peninsula during antiquity, and was originally intended to protect shepherd girls from attacks by wild animals during menstruation. The tradition subsequently dispersed from there.
In terms of creed, many Rendille practice a traditional religion centered on the worship of Waaq/Wakh. In the related Oromo culture, Waaq denotes the single god of the early pre-Abrahamic, monotheistic faith believed to have been adhered to by Cushitic groups. Some Rendille have also adopted Islam or Christianity.
Also known as the ‘holders of the stick of God’, the Rendille community is formed by a group of camel herders who are also generally considered to be an indigenous community in Marsabit County. Based on their tribal tradition about their origin, the Rendille have no large-scale migration indicating that they have at one point migrated into their present tribal territory from somewhere else. In fact, each of the 9 clans that makes up the Rendille (with the exception of the odhola) tell that they originally come from different localities all found within the present day tribal territory.
