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 42.3 up to ward level.

 Table 42: Overall Employment by Education levels in Trans Nzoia County

In Trans-Nzoia County, 25% of the residents with no formal education, 20% of those with a primary level of education and 26% 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 almost twice the level in Trans-Nzoia for those with secondary or above level of education.

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. Trans-Nzoia County’s Gini index is 0.360 compared with Turkana County, which has the least inequality nationally (0.283).

Just 1% of residents in Trans Nzoia County use Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 3% use paraffin. 77% use firewood and 18% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender with 75% of male headed households using it as compared with 80% in female headed households.

Cherangany and Endebess constituencies have the highest level of firewood use in Trans Nzoia County at 91%.This is 38 percentage points above Saboti constituency, which has the lowest share. Endebess constituency is 14 percentage points above the county average. Machewa ward has the highest level of firewood use in Trans Nzoia County at 97%.This is 24 times Tuwani ward, which has the lowest share. Machewa ward is 20 percentage points above the county average.

Saboti constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Trans Nzoia County at 38%.This is seven times Endebess constituency, which has the lowest share. Saboti constituency is 20 points above the county average. Tuwani ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Trans Nzoia County at 79%.This is almost 40 times Machewa ward, which has the lowest share. Tuwani ward is 61 percentage points above the county average.

Only 9% of residents in Trans Nzoia County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 39% use lanterns, and 49% use tin lamps. 1% use fuel wood. Electricity use is almost similar in male headed households at 9% as compared with female headed households at 8%.

 Saboti constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 13%.That is 11 percentage points above Endebess constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Saboti constituency is 4 percentage points above the county average. Bidii ward has the highest level of electricity use at 47%.That is 47 percentage points above Machewa ward, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Bidii ward is 38 percentage points above the county average.

In Trans Nzoia County, 26% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 73% have earth floors. 1% has wood or tile floors. Saboti constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 39%.That is four times Endebess constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors.Saboti constituency is 13 percentage points above the county average. Tuwani ward has the highest share of cement floors at 76%.This is 10 times Chepchoina ward, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Tuwani ward is 50 percentage points above the county average.

In Trans Nzoia County, less than 1% of residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 83% have corrugated iron sheet roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 14% of homes, and none have mud/dung roofs.

 Kiminini constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 90%.That is almost twice Endebess constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Kiminini constituency is 7 percentage points above the county average. Sinyerere ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 97%.This is almost thrice Chepchoina ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Sinyerere ward is 14 percentage points above the county average.

 Endebess constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 46%.This is 41 percentage points above Kiminini constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Endebess constituency is 32 percentage points above the county average. Chepchoina ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 60%. This is 60 percentage points above Tuwani ward, which has the lowest share. Chepchoina ward is 46 percentage points above the county average.

In Trans Nzoia County, 17% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 81% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. 1% has wood walls. Less than 1% has corrugated iron sheet or grass/thatched walls. 1% has tin or other walls.

Saboti constituency has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 25%.That is three times Endebess constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Saboti constituency is 8 percentage points above the county average. Hospital ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 51%.That is 13 times Chepchoina ward, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Hospital ward is 34 percentage points above the county average.

Endebess constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 89%.That is 17 percentage points above Saboti constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Endebess constituency is 8 percentage points above the county average. Three wards, Machewa, Keiyo and Chepsiro/Kiptoror, have the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 94% each. That is twice Hospital ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Machewa, Keiyo and Chepsiro/Kiptoror are 13 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 Trans Nzoia County, 65% of residents use improved sources of water, with the rest relying on unimproved sources. There is no gender differential as both male and female headed households are at 65% each in use of improved sources of water.

 Kiminini constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 79%.That is almost twice Endebess constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Kiminini constituency is 14 percentage points above the county average. Matisi ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 87%.That is thrice Chepsiro/Kiptoror ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Matisi ward is 22 percentage points above the county average.

A total of 74% of residents in Trans Nzoia County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. There is no significant differential by gender as male headed households at 75% as compared with female headed households at 74% in use of improved sanitation.

 Kiminini constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 84%.That is almost twice Endebess constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Kiminini constituency is 10 percentage points above the county average. Tuwani ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 89%.That is seven times Machewa ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Tuwani ward is 15 percentage points above the county average.