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 15.3 up to ward level.

 Table 15: Overall Employment by Education levels in Kilrinyaga County

In Kirinyaga County, 23% of the residents with no formal education 25% of those with primary education and 27% of those with secondary level of education or above are working for pay. Work for pay is highest in Nairobi at 49% and this is almost twice the level in Kirinyaga 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. Kirinyaga County’s Gini index is 0.354 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Just 3% of residents in Kirinyaga County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 5% use paraffin. 75% use firewood and 15% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by either gender  at 76% in male headed households and 74% in female headed households.

Kirinyaga Central constituency has the highest level of use of LPG in Kirinyaga County at 5%.This is 4 percentage points more than Gichugu constituency, which has the lowest share. Kirinyaga Central constituency is 2% points above the county average. Kerugoya ward has the highest level of use of LPG in Kirinyaga County at 13%.This is 13 percentage points above Wamumu ward, which has the lowest share. Kerugoya ward is 10 percentage points above the county average.

Gichugu constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Kirinyaga County at 89%.This is 24 percentage points above Mwea constituency, which has the lowest share at 65%. Gichugu constituency is about 14 percentage points above the county average. Kanyekini ward has the highest level of firewood use in Kirinyaga County at 95%.This is twice the level in Tebere ward, which has the lowest share at 39%. Kanyekini ward is 20 percentage points above the county average.

Mwea constituency has the highest level of use of charcoal at 24%. This is three times Gichugu constituency at 7%. Mwea constituency is 9 percentage points higher than the county average. Wamumu ward has the highest level of use of charcoal in Kirinyaga County at 42%.This is 14 times Kanyekini ward, which has the lowest share at 2%. Wamumu ward is 27 percentage points above the county average.

16% of residents in Kirinyaga County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 34% use lanterns, and 45% use tin lamps. Less than 1% use fuel wood. Tin lamps are the most common lighting source in both male headed households at 44% and female headed households at 46%.

 Kirinyaga Central constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 23%. That is almost twice Gichugu constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Kirinyaga Central constituency is 7 percentage points above the county average. Kerugoya ward has the highest level of electricity use at 48%. That is 24 times Kangai ward, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Kerugoya ward is 32 percentage points above the county average.

In Kirinyaga County, 39% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 60% have earth floors. Less than 1% has tiles and 1% has wood floors. Kirinyaga Central constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 46%. That is 11 percentage points above Mwea constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Kirinyaga Central constituency is 7 percentage points above the county average. Kerugoya ward has the highest share of cement floors at 63%. That is almost four times Kangai ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Kerugoya ward is 24 percentage points above the county average.

In Kirinyaga County, only 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 95% have corrugated iron sheet roofs. Asbestos sheets constitute 3% of homes. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 1% of homes, and mud/dung roofs are absent.

Gichugu constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 97%. That is 5 percentage points above Mwea constituency, which has the lowest share of iron sheet roofs. Gichugu constituency is 2 percentage points above the county average. Three wards, namely: Ngariama, Karumandi and Mutira have the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 98%. That is 15 percentage points above Murinduko ward that has the lowest share of concrete roofs. Ngariama, Karumandi and Mutira are 3% above the county average.

Mwea constituency has the highest share of asbestos sheet roofing at 5%. This is 4 times Ndia constituency that has the lowest share. Mwea constituency is 2 percentage points above the county average. Nyangati ward has share of asbestos sheet roofing at 8%. This is 8 times Mutira and Ngariama wards that have the lowest share. Nyangati ward is 5 percentage points above the county average.

In Kirinyaga County, 41% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 22% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. 35% have wood walls. 2% have corrugated iron walls. 1% has grass/thatched walls. 1% has tin or other walls.

Mwea constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 57%. That is twice Gichugu constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Mwea constituency is 16 percentage points above the county average. Tebere ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 73%. That is almost five times Karumandi ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Tebere ward is 32 percentage points above the county average.

Mwea constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 30%. That is twice Kirinyaga Central constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Mwea constituency is 8 percentage points above the county average. Kangai ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 48%. That is almost 10 times Mutira ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Kangai ward is 26 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 Kirinyaga County, 53% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. There is no gender differential by either gender in the use of improved sources at 53% for both male and female headed households.

Kirinyaga Central constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 69%. That is twice Mwea constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Kirinyaga Central constituency is 16 percentage points above the county average. Inoi ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 91%. That is 23 times Kangai ward which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Inoi ward is 38 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 83% of residents in Kirinyaga County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. There is no gender differential in the use of improved sources with both male and female households at 83%.

 Ndia constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 90%. That is 13 percentage points above Kirinyaga Central constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Ndia constituency is 7 percentage points above the county average. Wamumu ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 96%. That is twice Ngariama ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Wamumu ward is 13 percentage points above the county average.