The 2009 population and housing census covered in brief the labour status as tabulated below. The main variable of interest for inequality discussed in the text is work for pay by level of education. The other variables, notably family business, family agricultural holdings, intern/volunteer, retired/homemaker, fulltime student, incapacitated and  no work are tabulated and presented in the annex table 2.3 up to ward level.

Table 2: Overall Employment by Education Levels in Bomet County

In Bomet County, 13% of the residents with no formal education, 15% of those with a primary education and 24% of those with secondary or above level of education are working for pay. Work for pay is highest in Nairobi at 49% and this is twice the level in Bomet for those with secondary level of education or above.

In this report, the Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of consumption expenditure among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Gini index of '0' represents perfect equality, while an index of '1' implies perfect inequality. Bomet County’s Gini index is 0.340 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Less than 1% of residents in Bomet County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 2% use paraffin. 92% use firewood and 5% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by either gender with both male and female headed households at 92%.

Chepalungu constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Bomet County at 97%.This is 9 percentage points above Bomet Central constituency, which has the lowest share. Chepalungu constituency is about 5 percentage points above the county average. Two wards, Mutarakwa and KongAsis, have the highest level of firewood use in Bomet County at 98% each. This is 34 percentage points above Silibwet Township ward, which has the lowest share. Mutarakwa and KongAsis are 6 percentage points above the county average.

Bomet Central constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Bomet County at 9%.This is 6 percentage points above Chepalungu constituency, which has the lowest share. Bomet Central constituency is 4 percentage points above the county average. Silibwet Township ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Bomet County at 28%.This is 27 percentage points more than Chepchabas ward, which has the lowest share. Silibwet Township is 23 percentage points above the county average.

Some 4% of residents in Bomet County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 64% use lanterns, and 27% use tin lamps. Only 1% use fuel wood. Electricity use is insignificantly higher in male headed households at 4% as compared with female headed households at 3%.

Bomet Central constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 6%.That is 5 percentage points above Chepalungu constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Bomet Central constituency is 2 percentage points above the county average. Silibwet Township ward has the highest level of electricity use at 21%.That is 21 percentage points above Mutarakwa ward, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Silibwet Township ward is 17 percentage points above the county average.

 In Bomet County, 24% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 75% have earth floors. Less than 1% has tile and 1% has wood floors. Konoin constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 48%.That is almost seven times Chepalungu constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Konoin constituency is exactly double the 24 percentage points above the county average. Chepchabas ward has the highest share of cement floors at 88%. That is 84 percentage points above KongAsis ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Chepchabas ward is 64 percentage points above the county average.

 In Bomet County, 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 68% have corrugated iron sheet roofs. Grass and makuti roofs cover 27% of homes, and less than 1% has mud/dung roofs.

Konoin constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 84%. That is 38 percentage points above Chepalungu constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Konoin constituency is 16 percentage points above the county average. Kimulot ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 96%. That is twice KongAsis ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Kimulot ward is 28 percentage points above the county average.

Chepalungu constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 53%. That is nine times Konoin constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Chepalungu constituency is 26 percentage points above the county average. KongAsis ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 61%. This is 60 percentage points above Chepchabas ward, which has the lowest share. KongAsis ward is 34 percentage points above the county average.

 In Bomet County, 14% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 71% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. 13% have wood walls. 1% has corrugated iron sheet walls. Less than 1% has grass/thatched walls. 2% have tin or other walls.

Konoin constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 35%. That is 33 percentage points above Chepalungu constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Konoin constituency is 21 percentage points above the county average. Chepchabas ward, has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 88%. That is 87 percentage points above KongAsis ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Chepchabas ward is 74 percentage points above the county average.

Chepalungu constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 91%. That is twice Konoin constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Chepalungu constituency is 20 percentage points above the county average. Sigor ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 95%. That is 90 percentage points above Chepchabas ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Sigor ward is 24 percentage points above the county average.

Improved sources of water comprise protected spring, protected well, borehole, piped into dwelling, piped and rain water collection while unimproved sources include pond, dam, lake, stream/river, unprotected spring, unprotected well, jabia, water vendor and others.

In Bomet County, 24% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. There is no significant gender differential in use of improved sources with 24% of male headed households and 22% of female headed households using it.

Konoin constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 42%. That is three times Chepalungu constituency, which has the lowest share of residents using improved sources of water. Konoin constituency is 18 percentage points above the county average. Chepchabas ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 90%. That is 15 times Chebunyo ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Chepchabas ward is 67 percentage points above the county average.  

68% of residents in Bomet county use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. Use of improved sanitation is slightly higher in male headed households at 69% as compared with female headed households at 66%.

Konoin constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 79%. That is 16 percentage points above Chepalungu constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Konoin constituency is 11 percentage points above the county average. Chepchabas ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 98%. That is twice Sigor ward, which has the lowest share of residents using improved sanitation. Chepchabas ward is 30 percentage points above the county average.