Abstract:
The question pertaining to considerations made by individuals and members of a community for purposes of
identity construction is often asked by scholars but the answers offered exhibit glaring variations. Language
is cited by some individuals and groups as being propitious for identity formation while others cite other
aspects of a people’s culture such as food, clothes, and such other considerations as genetic descent and
geographical location. In this paper, we examine within the framework of the Decision Theory (DT), the
factors relied upon by members of the Rendille ethnic community for identity formation. We demonstrate
that based on some factors, the Rendillle identity is perceived to be in two levels; the broad and narrow
identity. Ancestral descent is a useful factor in the formation of the broad Rendille identity while
participation in certain rituals, initiation rites in particular, is critical in the formation of the narrow
Rendille identity. Such levels form part of the Rendille culture and as Miyaoka (2001) points out, language
may be said to be the last stronghold of culture. Ours, therefore, is a study in sociolinguistics paying
particular attention to the Rendille community.
