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 13.3 up to ward level.

 Table 13: Overall Employment by Education levels in Kiambu County

In Kiambu County, 34% of the residents with no formal education, 38% for those with primary education and 39% for those with a secondary level of education or above are working for pay. Work for pay is highest in Nairobi at 49%. This is 10 percentage points above the level in Kiambu for those with secondary or above level of education.

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. Kiambu County’s Gini index is 0.335 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Only 13% of residents in Kiambu County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 23% use paraffin. 35% use firewood and 26% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender with 41% of female headed households and 33% of male headed households using it.

 Ruiru constituency has the highest level of use of LPG in Kiambu County at 24%.This is 22 percentage points more than Gatundu North constituency, which has the lowest share at 2%. Ruiru constituency is 11 percentage points above the county average. Kahawa Sukari ward has the highest level of use for LPG in Kiambu County at 67%.This is 66 percentage points above Kinale ward, which has the lowest share. Kahawa Sukari ward is 54 percentage points above the county average.

 Two constituencies, Gatundu North and Gatundu South, have the highest level of firewood use in Kiambu County at 84% each. This is 17 times Ruiru constituency, which has the lowest share at 5%. Gatundu North and Gatundu South are about 49 percentage points above the county average. Kiamwangi ward has the highest level of firewood use in Kiambu County at 91%.This is 90 percentage points above Mwiki ward, which has the lowest share. Kiamwangi ward is 56 percentage points above the county average.

 Kabete constituency has the highest level of charcoal use at 47%. This is almost seven times Gatundu South constituency, which has the lowest share at 7%. Kabete constituency is 21 percentage points higher than the county average. Muguga ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Kiambu County at 55%.This is 11 times Kahawa Sukari ward, which has the lowest share at 5%. Muguga ward is 29 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 54% of residents in Kiambu County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 26% use lanterns, and 18% use tin lamps. Less than 1% use fuel wood. Electricity is the most common lighting source by gender with 56% of male headed households and 51% of female headed households using it.

 Ruiru constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 75%.That is four times Gatundu North constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Ruiru constituency is 21 percentage points above the county average. Kahawa Wendani ward has the highest level of electricity use at 93%.That is 10 times Kinale ward, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Kahawa Wendani ward is 39 percentage points above the county average.

In Kiambu County, 75% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 23% have earth floors. 2% have tiles and Less than 1% has wood floors. Ruiru constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 91%.That is twice Lari constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Ruiru constituency is 16 percentage points above the county average. Mwiki ward has the highest share of cement floors at 98%.That is almost five times Kinale ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Mwiki ward is 23 percentage points above the county average.

In Kiambu County, 7% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 88% have corrugated iron roofs. 3% have tile roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute less than 1% of homes, and mud/dung roofs are absent.

 Ruiru constituency has the highest share of concrete roofs at 21%.That is 20 percentage points more than Lari constituency, which has the lowest share of concrete roofs. Ruiru constituency is 14 percentage points above the county average. Kahawa Wendani ward has the highest share of concrete roofs at 50%.That is 50 percentage points above Kinale ward, which has the lowest share of concrete roofs. Kahawa Wendani is 43 percentage points above the county average.

 Three constituencies, Lari, Gatundu North and Gatundu South, have the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 96% each. That is 23 percentage points above Ruiru constituency, which has the lowest share. Lari, Gatundu North and Gatundu South are 8 percentage points above the county average. Kinale ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs is at 99%.That is three times Kahawa Sukari ward, which has the lowest share of iron sheet roofs. Kinale ward is 11 percentage points above the county average.

 Thika Town constituency has the highest share of tile roofs at 5%.That is 4 percentage points Gatundu North constituency, which has the lowest share. Thika Town constituency is 2 percentage points above the county average. Kahawa Sukari ward has the highest share of tile roofs at 56%. This is 56 percentage points above Kinale ward, which has the lowest share. Kahawa Sukari ward is 53 percentage points above the county average.

In Kiambu County, 53% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 6% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. 15% have wood walls. 25% have corrugated iron walls. And none have grass/thatched walls. 1% has tin or other walls.

Ruiru constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 87%. That is four times Lari constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Ruiru constituency is 34 percentage points above the county average. Mwiki ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 96%. That is 16 times Kinale ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Mwiki ward is 43 percentage points above the county average.

 Gatundu South constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 16%. That is 14 percentage points above Kabete constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Gatundu South constituency is 10 percentage points above the county average. Ndeiya ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 43%. That is 42 percentage points above Kahawa Wendani ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Ndeiya ward is 37 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 Kiambu County, 75% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. Use of improved sources is higher in male headed households is at 76% as compared with female headed households at 73%.

 Thika Town constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 87%. That is 25 percentage points above Gatundu South constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Thika Town constituency is 12 percentage points above the county average. Use of improved sources of water is universal in Kahawa Sukari Ward. That is three times Ngoliba ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Kahawa Sukari is 25 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 80% of residents in Kiambu County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. Use of improved sanitation is almost equal in male headed households at 80% and female headed households at 79%.

 Limuru constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation has 96%. That is almost twice Lari constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Limuru constituency is 16 percentage points above the county average. Five wards, Kabete, Githobokoni, Kahawa Sukari, Limuru East and Limuru Central, have the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 98% each. That is four times Kamburu ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Kabete, Githobokoni, Kahawa Sukari, Limuru East and Limuru Central are 18 percentage points above the county average.