71a. Woman from the Rendille tribe - Kenya

A few of them are Muslim but many of the Rendille people still stick to their indigenous religious practices with a minority being Christians. Rendille men dress traditionally in a loin cloth tied around their loins whereas women dress in sheep and goat skins tied on their waists going downwards but the trunk is left uncovered.

Circumcision is supposed to be a public event, and an issue of great delight and pride. Boys and young men who are circumcised but have not yet undergone Ennui, (rite into adulthood done at age 30) whereby men become elders and are given ownership of land. In this ritual, wear a purple cloth and a white feather as their headgear.

This cloth is changed to a checked pattern at the final acceptance as an Elder. Being very conscious of their headgear, warriors will even get upset if it is touched by an outsider or member of another tribe, especially a woman. Nevertheless, some of the Rendille have adopted western clothing. Their building styles for houses comprise of higher ones than those built by other pastrolist tribes and have a round shape. After every seven (or fourteen) years, there is a general shifting up in status of the different male age-groups, moving from childhood to boyhood then to warrior hood and finally to elder hood