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 38.3 up to ward level.

  Table 38: Overall Employment by Education levels in Siaya County

In Siaya County, 11% of the residents with no formal education are working for pay, 13% of those with a primary education and 22% of those with a secondary or above level of education. Work for pay for those with secondary or above level of education is highest in Nairobi at 49% and this is twice the level in Siaya.

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. Siaya County’s Gini index is 0.405 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Less than 1% of residents in Siaya County use Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), and 2% use paraffin. 83% use firewood and 15% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender at 79% in male headed households and 88% in female headed households.

 Ugenya constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Siaya County at 89%. This is 19 percentage points above Bondo constituency, which has the lowest share. Ugenya constituency is about 6 percentage points above the county average.Two wards, West Ugenya and East Ugenya, have the highest level of firewood use in Siaya County at 94% each. This is twice the level in Siaya Township that is lowest ward. West and East Ugenya are 11 percentage points above the county average.

 Bondo constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Siaya County at 26%.This is 17 percentage points above the level in Ugenya that is the lowest constituency. Bondo constituency is 11 percentage points above the county average. Siaya Township ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Siaya County at 49%.This is almost 10 times the level in West Ugenya, which has the lowest share. Siaya Township ward is 34 percentage points above the county average.

Only 4% of residents in Siaya County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 21% use lanterns, and 73% use tin lamps. Less than 1% use fuel wood. Electricity use is slightly higher in male headed households at 5% as compared with female headed households at 3%.

 Two constituencies, Alego Usonga and Bondo, have the highest level of electricity use at 5% each. This is 2 percentage points above Rarieda constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Alego Usonga and Bondo constituencies are 1% point above the county average. Siaya Township ward has the highest level of electricity use at 20%.That is 20 percentage points above South Sakwa ward, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Siaya Township ward is 16 percentage points above the county average.

In Siaya County, 29% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 70% have earth floors. Less than 1% has wood or tile floors. Bondo constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 42%.That is twice Gem constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Bondo constituency is 13 percentage points above the county average. Siaya Township ward has the highest share of cement floors at 68%.That is four times East Gem ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Siaya Township ward is 39 percentage points above the county average.

In Siaya County, less than 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 66% have corrugated iron sheet roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 32% of homes, and less none have mud/dung roofs.

Bondo constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 78%.That is 25 percentage points above Ugenya constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Bondo constituency is 12 percentage points above the county average. West Yimbo ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 87%.This is twice East Ugenya ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. West Yimbo ward is 21 percentage points above the county average.

 Ugenya constituency with the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 46%.This is twice Bondo constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Ugenya constituency is 14 percentage points above the county average. East Ugenya ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 57%. This is five times West Yimbo ward, which has the lowest share. East Ugenya ward is 25 percentage points above the county average.

In Siaya County, 15% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 83% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. Less than 1% has wood or corrugated iron sheet or grass/thatched walls. 1% has tin or other walls.

 Alego Usonga constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 18%.That is 6 percentage points above Gem constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Alego Usonga constituency is 3 percentage points above the county average. Siaya Township ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 56%.That is eight times Central Alego ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Siaya Township ward is 41 percentage points above the county average.

 Rarieda constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 86%.This is 5 percentage points above Alego Usonga constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Rarieda constituency is 3 percentage points above the county average. Central Alego ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 93%.That is twice Siaya Township ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Central Alego ward is 10 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 Siaya County, 36% 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 as seen in 35% of male headed households and 37% in female headed households.

 Ugunja constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 58%.That is four times Bondo constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Ugunja constituency is 22 percentage points above the county average. Yala Township ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 76%.That is 75 percentage points above West Yimbo ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Yala Township ward is 40 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 49% of residents in Siaya County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. There is no significant gender differential in use of improved sanitation as seen in 49% of male headed households as compared with 48% in female headed households.

 Two constituencies, Ugunja and Ugenya, have the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 63% each. That is almost three times Rarieda constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Ugunja and Ugenya are 14 percentage points above the county average. Central Gem ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 83%.That is six times South Uyoma ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Central Gem ward is 34 percentage points above the county average.