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 31.3 up to ward level.

Table 31: Overall Employment by Education Levels in Nakuru County

In Nakuru County, 24% of the residents with no formal education, 26% of those with a primary education and 36% 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 13 percentage points above the level in Nakuru 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. Nakuru County’s Gini index is 0.376 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Only 5% of residents in Nakuru County use Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and 8% use paraffin. 46% use firewood and 40% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender at 44% in male headed households and 50% in female headed households.

 Kuresoi South constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Nakuru County at 90%.This is almost 23 times the level in Nakuru Town East constituency, which has the lowest share. Kuresoi South constituency is about 44 percentage points above the county average. Nessuit ward has highest level of firewood use in Nakuru County at 98%.This is 97 percentage points above Flamingo ward, which has the lowest share. Nessuit ward is 52 percentage points above the county average.

 Nakuru Town West constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Nakuru County at 65%.This is seven times Kuresoi South constituency, which has the lowest share. Nakuru Town West constituency is 25 percentage points above the county average. Kaptembwo ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Nakuru County at 77%.This is 75 percentage points more than Nessuit ward. Kaptembwo ward is 37 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 34% of residents in Nakuru County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 36% use lanterns, and 25% use tin lamps. 1% use fuel wood. Electricity use is mostly common in male headed households at 35% as compared with female headed households at 31%.

 Nakuru Town East constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 77%.That is 27 times Kuresoi South and Kuresoi North constituencies, which have the lowest level of electricity use. Nakuru Town East constituency is 43 percentage points above the county average. Rhoda ward has the highest level of electricity use at 89%.That is 89 percentage points above Nessuit ward, which has no share of electricity use. Rhoda ward is 55 percentage points above the county average.

In Nakuru County, 51% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 47% have earth floors. 1% has wood or tile floors. Nakuru Town West constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 88%.That is eight times Kuresoi North constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Nakuru Town West constituency is 37 percentage points above the county average. Rhoda ward has the highest share of cement floors at 97%.That is 95 percentage points above Nessuit ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Rhoda ward is 46 percentage points above the county average.

In Nakuru County, 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 87% have corrugated iron roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 6% of homes, and less than 1% has mud/dung roofs.

Bahati constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 96%. That is 37 percentage points above Kuresoi South constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Bahati constituency is 9 percentage points above the county average. Two wards, Kihingo and Biashara, have the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 98% each. That is almost thrice Tinet ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Kihingoi and Biashara wards are 11 percentage points above the county average.

Kuresoi South constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 37%.That is 37 percentage points above Nakuru Town East constituency, which has no share of grass/makuti roofs. Kuresoi South constituency is 31 percentage points above the county average. Tinet ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 65%. This is 65 percentage points above Rhoda ward, which has no share of grass/makuti roofs. Tinet ward is 59 percentage points above the county average.

In Nakuru County, 39% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 44% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. 13% have wood walls. 3% have corrugated iron walls. Less than 1% has grass/thatched walls. 1% has tin or other walls.

Nakuru Town East constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 75%.That is 18 times Kuresoi South constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Nakuru Town East constituency is 36 percentage points above the county average. Viwanda ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 84%.That is 83 percentage points above Tinet ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Viwanda ward is 45 percentage points above the county average.

Njoro constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 72%.That is thrice Naivasha constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Njoro constituency is 28 percentage points above the county average. Murindat ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 45%.That is 11 times Viwanda ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Murindat ward is 1 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 Nakuru County, 60% 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 60% in male headed households and 59% in female headed households.

Nakuru Town East constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 91%.That is twice Kuresoi North constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Nakuru Town East constituency is 31 percentage points above the county average. Kivumbini ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 98%. That is seven times Mauche ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Kivumbini ward is 38 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 76% of residents in Nakuru County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. Use of improved sanitation is insignificantly higher in male headed households at 76% as compared with female headed households at 75%.

 Nakuru Town East constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 92%. That is 27 percentage points above Kuresoi South constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Nakuru Town East constituency is 16 percentage points above the county average. Turi ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 98%.That is twice Nessuit ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Turi ward is 22 percentage points above the county average.