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 18.3 up to ward level.

Table 18: Overall Employment by Education Levels in Kitui County

In Kitui County, 18% of the residents with no formal education, 20% of those with a primary education and 27% of those with a secondary level of education or above are working for pay. Work for pay is highest in Nairobi at 49% and this is 22 percentage points above the level in Kitui for those with a 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. Kitui County’s Gini index is 0.388 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Only 1% of residents in Kitui County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 2% use paraffin. 89% use firewood and 8% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender at 87% in male headed households and 91% in female headed households.

Mwingi North constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Kitui County at 95%. This is 20 percentage points above Kitui Central constituency, which has the lowest share at 75%. Mwingi North constituency is about 6 percentage points above the county average. Two wards, Tharaka and Voo/Kyamatu, have the highest level of firewood use in Kitui County at 98% each. This is five times the Township ward, which has the lowest share at 18%. Tharaka and Voo/Kyamatuare are 9 percentage points above the county average.

 Kitui Central constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Kitui County at 17%.This is four times Mwingi North constituency, which has the lowest share at 4%. Kitui Central constituency is 9 percentage points above the county average. Township ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Kitui County at 54%.This is 53 percentage points more than Tharaka ward, which has the lowest share at 1%. Township ward is 46 percentage points above the county average.

Kitui Central constituency has the highest level of paraffin use in Kitui County at 5%. That is 4 percentage points above Kitui East constituency, which has the lowest share. Kitui Central constituency is 3 percentage points higher than the county average. Township ward has the highest level of paraffin use in Kitui County at 19%.This is 18 percentage points above Tharaka ward, which has the lowest share. Township ward is 17 percentage points above the county average.

Only 5% of residents in Kitui County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 54% use lanterns, and 31% use tin lamps. 5% use fuel wood. Electricity use is mostly common in male headed households at 6% as compared with female headed households at 4%.

Kitui Central constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 14%.That is 14 percentage points above Kitui South constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Kitui Central constituency is 9 percentage points above the county average. Township ward has the highest level of electricity use at 48%.That is 48 percentage points above Mui ward, which has no level of electricity use. Township ward is 43 percentage points above the county average.

In Kitui County, 32% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 67% have earth floors. Less than 1% has wood and just 1% has tile floors. Kitui Central constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 53%.That is three times Kitui South constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Kitui Central constituency is 21 percentage points above the county average. Township ward has the highest share of cement floors at 90%.That is 11 times Voo/Kyamatu ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Township ward is 58 percentage points above the county average.

In Kitui County, less than 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 76% have corrugated iron roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 21% of homes, and Less than 1% has mud/dung roofs.

 Mwingi West constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 94%.That is 38 percentage points above Mwingi North constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Mwingi West constituency is 18 percentage points above the county average. Central ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 97%.That is almost three times Tharaka ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Central ward is 21 percentage points above the county average.

Mwingi North constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 41%.That is 10 times Mwingi West constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Mwingi North constituency is 20 percentage points above the county average. Tharaka ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 63%. This is 62 percentage points above Township ward, which has the lowest share. Tharaka ward is 42 percentage points above the county average.

In Kitui County, 66% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 32% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. 1% has wood walls. Less than 1% has corrugated iron sheet or grass/thatched or tin/other walls.

Mwingi West constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 91%.That is almost twice Mwingi Central constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Mwingi West constituency is 25 percentage points above the county average. Central and Nguutani wards have the highest share of brick/stone walls at 95%.That is nine times Endau/Malalani the ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Central and Nguutani wards are 29 percentage points above the county average.

 Mwingi Central constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 52%.That is almost seven times Mwingi West constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Mwingi Central constituency is 20 percentage points above the county average. Endau/Malalani ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 84%.That is almost 17 times Central ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Endau/Malalani ward is 52 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 Kitui County, 26% 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 as seen in 27% of male headed households and 25% in female headed households.

Mwingi Central constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 39%.That is twice Kitui Rural constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Mwingi Central constituency is 13 percentage points above the county average. Township ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 66%.This is 65 percentage points above Miambani ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Township ward is 40 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 52% of residents in Kitui County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. There is no significant gender differential in use of improved sanitation as seen in 53% of male headed households and 52% in female headed households.

Kitui West constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 76%.That is twice Kitui East constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Kitui West constituency is 24 percentage points above the county average. Mutonguni ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 88%.That is eight times Endau/Malalani ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Mutonguni ward is 36 percentage points above the county average.