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 23.3 up to ward level.

 Table 23: Overall Employment by education Levels in Makueni County

In Makueni County, 19% of the residents with no formal education 23% of those with primary education and 25% 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 Makueni 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. Makueni County’s Gini index is 0.376 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Only 1% of residents in Makueni County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 3% use paraffin. 85% use firewood and 11% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender with 83% of male headed households and 87% in female headed households using it.

 Kaiti and Mbooni constituencies have the highest level of firewood use in Makueni County at 91% each. This is 17 percentage points above Kibwezi West constituency, which has the lowest share at 74%. Kaiti and Mbooni are about 6 percentage points above the county average. Muvau/Kikumini ward has the highest level of firewood use in Makueni County at 97%.This is twice Wote ward, which has 41%. Muvau/Kikumini ward is 12 percentage points above the county average.

 Kibwezi West constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Makueni County 19%. This is almost three times Kaiti constituency, which has the lowest share. Kibwezi West is about 8 percentage points above the county average. Wote ward has highest level of charcoal use in Makueni County at 39%. This is 13 times Mvua/Kikumini ward, which has the lowest share at 3%. Wote ward is 28 percentage points above the county average.

Only 6% of residents in Makueni County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 63% use lanterns, and 25% use tin lamps. 1% use fuel wood. Electricity use is almost equal by gender with male headed households at 6% as compared with female headed households at 5%.

 Kibwezi West constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 11%.That is 9 percentage points above Mbooni constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Kibwezi West constituency is 5 percentage points above the county average. Wote ward has the highest level of electricity use at 27%.That is 27 percentage points above Kitise/Kithuki ward, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Wote ward is 21 percentage points above the county average.

In Makueni County, 46% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 54% have earth floors. Less than 1% has wood and just 1% has tile floors. Kaiti constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 49%.That is 8 percentage points above Kibwezi East constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Kaiti constituency is 3 percentage points above the county average. Wote ward has the highest share of cement floors at 80%.That is almost 451 percentage points above Masongaleni ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Wote ward is 34 percentage points above the county average.

In Makueni County, less than 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 87% have corrugated iron sheet roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 11% of homes, and none have mud/dung roofs.

 Kaiti constituency with has highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 93%.That is 13 percentage points above Makueni constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron roofs. Kaiti constituency is 6 percentage points above the county average. Mbooni ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 98%.That is 26 percentage points above Muvau/Kikumini ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron roofs. Mbooni ward is 11 percentage points above the county average.

 Makueni constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 19%.That is almost four times Kaiti constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Makueni constituency is 8 percentage points above the county average. Muvau/Kikumini ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 27%. This is 26 percentage points above Mbooni ward, which has the lowest share at 16 percentage points above the county average.

In Makueni County, 75% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 24% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. Less than 1% has wood walls. 1% has corrugated iron sheet or grass/thatched or tin or other walls.

Mbooni constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 85%.That is 19 percentage points above Kibwezi East constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Mbooni constituency is 10 percentage points above the county average. Kee ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 95%.That is 40 percentage points above Nguumo ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Kee ward is 20 percentage points above the county average.

 Kibwezi East constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 32%.That is twice Mbooni constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Kibwezi East constituency is 8 percentage points above the county average. Nguumo ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 43%.That is almost 11 times Kee ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Nguumo ward is 19 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 Makueni County, 36% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. Use of improved sources is higher in male headed households at 37% as compared with female headed households at 34%.

Kibwezi East constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 70%. That is four times Mbooni constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Kibwezi East constituency is 34 percentage points above the county average. Nguumo ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 94%.That is 24 times Waia-Kako ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Nguumo ward is 58 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 56% of residents in Makueni County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. There is no significant gender differential in use of improved sanitation with 56% of male headed households and 55% in female headed households using it.

 Makueni constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 72%.That is twice Mbooni constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Makueni constituency is 16 percentage points above the county average. Nzaui/Kilili/Kalambaward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 84%.That is almost 11 times Kithungo/Kitundu ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Masii ward is 28 percentage points above the county average.