Employment

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 34.3 up to ward level.

  Table 34: Overall Employment by Education Levels in Nyamira County

In Nyamira County, 13% of the residents with no formal education 14% of those with primary education and 17% 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 thrice the level in Nyamira 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. Nyamira County’s Gini index is 0.394 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Just 1% of residents in Nyamira County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 1% use paraffin. 91% use firewood and 7% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender; 90% in male and 92% in female headed households.

 North Mugirango constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Nyamira County at 95%.This is 6 percentage points above West Mugirango constituency, which has the lowest share. North Mugirango constituency is 4 percentage points above the county average. Gachuba ward has the highest level of firewood use in Nyamira County at 98%.This is 39 percentage points above Township Town ward, which has the lowest share. Gachuba ward is 7 percentage points above the county average.

 Borabu constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Nyamira County at 8%.This is 4 percentage points above North Mugirango constituency, which has the lowest share. Borabu constituency is 1 percentage points above the county average. Township ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Nyamira County at 28%.This is 14 times Bomwagamo ward, which has the lowest share. Township ward is 21 percentage points above the county average.

Only 6% of residents in Nyamira County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 40% use lanterns, and 52% use tin lamps. Less than 1% use fuel wood. Electricity use is almost equal by gender: 6% in male compared with 5% in female headed households.

 Borabu constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 8%.That is 4 percentage points above North Mugirango constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Borabu constituency is 2 percentage points above the county average. Township ward with the highest level of electricity use is 31%.That is 30 percentage points above Gachuba ward, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Township ward is 25 percentage points above the county average.

In Nyamira County, 23% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 76% have earth floors. Less than 1% has tile and 1% has wood floors. Borabu constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 35%.That is 21 percentage points above North Mugirango constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Borabu constituency is 12 percentage points above the county average. Mekenene ward has the highest share of cement floors at 61%.That is seven times Bomwagamo ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Mekenene ward is 38 percentage points above the county average.

In Nyamira County, less than 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 90% have corrugated iron roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 7% of homes, and none have mud/dung roofs.

West Mugirango constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 92%.That is 5 percentage points above Kitutu Masaba constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. West Mugirango constituency is 2 percentage points above the county average. Bonyamatuta ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 95%.That is 12 percentage points above Mekenene ward has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Bonyamatuta ward is 5 percentage points above the county average.

 Kitutu Masaba constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 10%.That is 5 percentage points above West Mugirango constituency has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Kitutu Masaba constituency is 3 percentage points above the county average. Gachuba ward with the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 12%. This is 11 percentage points above Township ward, which has the lowest share. Gachuba ward is 5 percentage points above the county average.

In Nyamira County, 21% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 78% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. 1% has wood walls. Less than 1% has corrugated iron walls. Less than 1% has grass/thatched walls. Less than 1% has tin or other walls.

Borabu constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 33%.That is 22 percentage points above North Mugirango constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Borabu constituency is 12 percentage points above the county average. Mekenene ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 60%.That is 12 times Bomwagamo ward has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Mekenene ward is 39 percentage points above the county average.

 North Mugirango constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 88%.That is 24 percentage points above Borabu constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. North Mugirango constituency is 10 percentage points above the county average. Bomwagamo ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 95%.That is almost thrice Mekenene ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Bomwagamo ward is 17 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 Nyamira County, 49% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. There is no gender differential in use of improved sources with both male and female headed households at 49% in each.

 Kitutu Masaba constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 61%.That is almost twice Borabu constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Kitutu constituency is 12 percentage points above the county average. Kemera ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 85%.That is four times Esise ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Kemera ward is 36 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 67% of residents in Nyamira County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. Use of improved sanitation is almost similar by gender with female headed households at 66% as compared with male headed households at 67%.

 Kitutu Masaba constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 74%.That is 18 percentage points above North Mugirango constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Kitutu Masaba constituency is 7 percentage points above the county average. Mekenene ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 89%.That is twice Kiabonyoru ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Mekenene ward is 22 percentage points above the county average.