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 30.3 up to ward level.

 Table 30: Overall Employment by education Levels in Nairobi County

In Nairobi County, 34% of the residents with no formal education; 45% of those with a primary level of education and 49% for those with a secondary level of education or above are working for pay.

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. Nairobi County’s Gini index is 0.341 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

A total of 23% of residents in Nairobi County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 54% use paraffin which is the most cooking fuel. Just over 1% of Nairobi residents use firewood and 17% use charcoal. The most common cooking fuels among male headed households is paraffin at 56% while the most common cooking fuels for female headed households is also paraffin at 47%.

 Embakasi West constituency has the highest level of LPG use in Nairobi County at 49%. This is six times Mathare constituency, which has the lowest share at 8%. Embakasi West constituency is 26 percentage points above the county average. Lower Savanna ward has the highest level of LPG use in Nairobi County at 74%. This is nearly 74 percentage points above Kwa Reuben ward, which has the lowest share. Lower Savanna is 51 percentage points above the county average.

Embakasi North constituency has the highest level of paraffin use in Nairobi County at 82%.This is twice Langata constituency, which has the lowest share at 34%. Embakasi North is 28 percentage points above the county average. Dandora Area IV ward has the highest level of paraffin use in Nairobi County at 87%.This is almost nine times Kileleshwa ward, which has the lowest share at 10%. Dandora Area IV is 33 percentage points above the county average.

 Dagoreti South constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Nairobi County at 4%. This is 4 percentage points higher than the lowest three constituencies that have less than 1%, namely: Embakasi North, Embakasi Central, and Mathare. Dagoreti South is 3 percentage points above the county average. Mutuini ward has the highest level of charcoal/firewood use in Nairobi County at 73%. This is 24 times the Kileleshwa ward, which has the lowest share at 3%.Mutuini ward is 55 percentage points above the county average of charcoal/ firewood use in Nairobi County.

A total of 72% of residents in Nairobi County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 13% use lanterns, and 13% use tin lamps. Less than 1% use fuel wood. The most common lighting source among male headed households is electricity at 71%, and the same holds for female headed households at 75%.

 Embakasi West constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 88%.That is 29 percentage points above Embakasi South constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Embakasi West constituency is 16 percentage points above the county average. Umoja I ward has the highest level of electricity use at 99%.That is almost five times Kwa Reuben ward, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Umoja I is 27 percentage points above the county average.

In Nairobi County, 82% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 9% have earth floors. Only 7% have tiles and 2% have wood floors. Embakasi North constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 95%.That is almost twice Langata constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Embakasi North is 13 percentage points above the county average. Kangemi ward has the highest share of cement floors at 98%.That is three times Kileleshwa ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Kangemi ward is 16 percentage points above the county average.

In Nairobi County, 21% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 65% have corrugated iron roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute less than 1% of homes, and mud/dung roofs are absent.

Embakasi West constituency has the highest share of concrete roofs is at 43%. That is 11 times Dagoreti South constituency, which has the lowest share of concrete roofs. Embakasi West constituency is 22 percentage points above the county average. Pipeline ward has the highest share of concrete roofs at 63%. That is  63 percentage points more than Laini Saba ward, which has no share of concrete roofs. Pipeline ward is 42 percentage points above the county average.

Dagoreti South constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 90%. That is twice Embakasi West constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Dagoreti South constituency is 25 percentage points above the county average. Kwa Reuben ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 99%. That is nine times Kileleshwa ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Kwa Reuben ward is 34 percentage points above the county average.

In Nairobi County, 61% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 9% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. 2% have wood walls. 27% have corrugated iron walls. And none have grass/thatched walls. 1% has tin or other walls.

 Embakasi Central constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 90%.That is five times Kibra constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Embakasi Central constituency is 29 percentage points above the county average. Kileleshwa ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 98%.That is more than 97 percentage points above Lindi ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Kileleshwa ward is 37 percentage points above the county average.

Kibra constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 71%.That is 71 times Embakasi South constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Kibra constituency is 62 percentage points above the county average. Lindi ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 95%.That is 95 percentage points above Nairobi Central, Viwandani, Kwa Reuben, Imara Daima and Kileleshwa wards that have the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Lindi ward is 86 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 Nairobi County, 84% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. Male headed households are less likely to rely on improved sources at 83% as compared with female headed households at 85%.

Embakasi North constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 94%.That is almost twice Embakasi South constituency with the lowest share using improved sources of water. Embakasi North constituency is 10 percentage points above the county average. Kileleshwa ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 99%.That is twice Kwa Njenga ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water Kileleshwa ward is 15 percentage points above the county average.

88% of residents in Nairobi County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. Male headed household are less likely to rely on improved sanitation at 88% as compared with female headed households at 89%.

 Embakasi West constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 98%.This is 19 percentage points above Embakasi South constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Embakasi West is 10 percentage points above the county average. Umoja II ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 100%.That is almost three times Korogocho ward, which has the lowest share of using improved sanitation. Umoja II is 12 percentage points above the county average.