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 22.3 up to ward level.

Table 22: Overall Employment by education Levels in Machakos County

In Machakos County, 23% of the residents with no formal education 27% of those with a primary level of education and 33% 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 16 percentage points above the level in Machakos 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. Machakos County’s Gini index is 0.403 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Only 3% of residents in Machakos County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 11% use paraffin. 69% use firewood and 16% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by either gender with 64% of male headed households and 76% in female headed households.

Masinga constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Machakos County at 91%.This is eight times Mavoko constituency, which has the lowest share at 12%. Masinga constituency is about 22 percentage points above the county average. Muthesya ward has the highest level of firewood use in Machakos County at 97%.This is 32 times Athi River ward, which has the lowest share at 3%. Muthesya ward is 28 percentage points above the county average.

 Mavoko constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Machakos County at 31%.This is five times Masinga constituency, which has the lowest share at 6%. Mavoko constituency is 15 percentage points above the county average. Athi River ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Machakos County at 41%.This is 39 percentage points more than Muthesya ward, which has the lowest share. Athi River ward is 25 percentage points above the county average.

Mavoko constituency has the highest level of paraffin use in Machakos County at 42%. This is 40 percentage points above Masinga constituency. Mavoko constituency is 31 percentage points higher than the county average. Syokimau ward has the highest level of paraffin use in Machakos County at 58%. This is 58 percentage points above Kangundo East ward, which has the lowest share. Syokimau ward is 47 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 17% of residents in Machakos County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 54% use lanterns, and 24% use tin lamps. Less than 1% use fuel wood. Electricity use is mostly common in male headed households at 19% as compared with female headed households at 13%.

 Mavoko constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 46%.That is 12 times Masinga constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Mavoko constituency is 29 percentage points above the county average. Syokimau ward has the highest level of electricity use at 62%.That is 62 percentage points above Ikombe ward, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Syokimau ward is 45 percentage points above the county average.

In Machakos County, 58% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 40% have earth floors. Less than less than 1% has wood and just 2% have tile floors. Mavoko constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 83%.That is twice Masinga constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Mavoko constituency is 25 percentage points above the county average. Athi River ward has the highest share of cement floors at 92%.That is four times Kyeleni ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Athi River ward is 34 percentage points above the county average.

In Machakos County, 3% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 89% have corrugated iron sheet roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 5% of homes, and none have mud/dung roofs.

Kathiani and Kangundo constituencies have the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 96% each. That is 21 percentage points above Mavoko constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Kathiani and Kangundo constituencies are 7 percentage points above the county average. Kangundo North ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 99%.That is 37 percentage points above Syokimau ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Kangundo North ward is 10 percentage points above the county average.

 Masinga constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 16%.That is 15 percentage points above Kathiani constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Masinga constituency is 11 percentage points above the county average. Masinga Central ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 22%. This is 22 percentage points above Machakos Central ward, which has no share of grass/makuti roofs. Masinga Central ward is 17 percentage points above the county average.

In Machakos County, 86% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 6% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. 1% has wood walls. 7% have corrugated iron walls. Less than 1% has grass/thatched or tin/other walls.

 Kangundo constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 98%.That is 42 percentage points above Mavoko constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Kangundo constituency is 12 percentage points above the county average. Three wards, Kangundo Central, Matungulu East and Kangundo East, have the highest share of brick/stone walls at 99% each. That is twice Athi River ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Kangundo Central, Matungulu East and Kangundo East wards are 13 percentage points above the county average.

 Masinga and Yatta constituencies have the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 11% each. That is six times Kangundo constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Masinga and Yatta constituencies are 5 percentage points above the county average. Katangi ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 19% each. That is 19 percentage points above Kangundo Central ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Katangi  ward is 13 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 Machakos County, 37% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. Use of improved sources is mostly common in male headed households at 39% as compared with female headed households at 33%.

 Mavoko constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 65%.That is three times Mwala constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Mavoko constituency is 28 percentage points above the county average. Syokimau ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 77%.That is 15 times Muthetheni ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Syokimau ward is 40 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 61% of residents in Machakos County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. Use of improved sanitation is slightly higher in male headed households at 62% compared with female headed households at 52%.

Mwala constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 81%.That is almost three times Masinga constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Mwala constituency is 20 percentage points above the county average. Masii ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 91%.That is 11 times Muthesya ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Masii ward is 30 percentage points above the county average.