Population
Turkana County has a child rich population, where 0-14 year olds constitute 46% of the total population. This is due to high fertility rates among women as shown by the highest percentage household size of more than 7 members at 59%. The lower proportion of 0-4 year olds is due to high infant and under five mortality rates.
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 43.3 up to ward level.
Table 43: Overall Employment by Education levels in Turkana County
Education Level |
Work for pay |
Family Business |
Family Agricultural Holding |
Intern/ Volunteer |
Retired/ Homemaker |
Fulltime Student |
Incapacitated |
No work |
Number of Individuals |
Total |
5.6 |
16.9 |
50.1 |
1.5 |
6.5 |
4.0 |
0.5 |
14.9 |
422,657 |
None |
3.4 |
17.5 |
55.4 |
1.5 |
6.6 |
0.1 |
0.5 |
15.1 |
353,488 |
Primary |
9.8 |
15.2 |
27.3 |
1.7 |
7.7 |
23.3 |
0.6 |
14.4 |
44,792 |
Secondary+ |
28.8 |
11.7 |
15.0 |
2.3 |
4.0 |
24.6 |
0.2 |
13.4 |
24,377 |
In Turkana County, 3% of the residents with no formal education are working for pay, 10% of those with primary education and 29% of those with secondary level of education or above. Work for pay is highest in Nairobi at 49% and this is 20 percentage points above the level in Turkana for those with secondary or above level of education.
Gini Coefficient
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. Turkana County’s Gini index is 0.283. This is the most equitable county in the country.
Education
Only 3% of Turkana County residents have a secondary level of education or above. Turkana Central constituency has the highest share of residents with a secondary level of education or above at 7%. This is 6 percentage points above Loima constituency, which has the lowest share of residents with a secondary level of education or above. Turkana Central constituency is 4 percentage points above the county average. Lodwar Township ward has the highest share of residents with a secondary level of education or above at 16%. This is 16 percentage points above Letea ward, which has the lowest share of residents with a secondary level of education or above. Lodwar Township ward is 13 percentage points above the county average.
A total of 15% of Turkana County residents have a primary level of education only. Turkana Central constituency has the highest share of residents with a primary level of education only at 26%. This is four times Loima constituency, which has the lowest share of residents with a primary level of education only. Turkana Central constituency is 11 percentage points above the county average. Lobokat ward has the highest share of residents with a primary level of education only at 46%. This is almost 45 percentage points above Letea ward, which has the lowest share of residents with a primary level of education only. Lobokat ward is 31 percentage points above the county average.
As many as 82% of, Turkana County residents have no formal education. Loima constituency has the highest share of residents with no formal education at 93%. This is 27 percentage points above Turkana Central constituency, which has the lowest share of residents with no formal education. Loima constituency is 11 percentage points above the county average. Letea ward has the highest percentage of residents with no formal education at 99%. This is twice Lodwar Township ward, which has the lowest percentage of residents with no formal education. Letea ward is 17 percentage points above the county average.
Energy » Cooking Fuel
Less than 1% of residents in Turkana County use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 1% use paraffin. 87% use firewood and 11% use charcoal. Firewood is the most common cooking fuel by gender with 86% in male and 89% in female headed households.
Loima constituency has the highest level of firewood use in Turkana County at 97%.This is 26 percentage points above Turkana Central constituency, which has the lowest share. Loima constituency is about 10 percentage points above the county average. Katilia ward has the highest level of firewood use in Turkana County at 99%.This is 57 percentage points above Lodwar Township ward, which has the lowest share. Katilia ward is 12 percentage points above the county average.
Turkana Central constituency has the highest level of charcoal use in Turkana County at 26%.This is 23 percentage points above Loima constituency, which has the lowest share. Turkana Central is 15 points above the county average. Lodwar Township ward has the highest level of charcoal use in Turkana County at 53%.This is 52 percentage points more than Katilia ward, which has the lowest share. Lodwar Township is 42 percentage points above the county average.
Energy » Lighting
Only 2% of residents in Turkana County use electricity as their main source of lighting. A further 8% use lanterns, and 9% use tin lamps. 76% use fuel wood. Electricity use is mostly common in male headed households at 3% as compared with female headed households at 2%.
Turkana Central constituency has the highest level of electricity use at 7%.That is 7 percentage points above Loima constituency, which has the lowest level of electricity use. Turkana Central constituency is 5 percentage points above the county average. Lodwar Township ward has the highest level of electricity use at 19%.That is 19 percentage points above Katilia, Kalapata, Katilu, Kerio Delta, Kotaruk/Lobei, Turkwel, Loima, and Lokiriama/Lorengippi wards, which have no level of electricity use. Lodwar Township ward is 17 percentage points above the county average.
Housing » Flooring
In Turkana County, 7% of residents have homes with cement floors, while 91% has earth floors. 1% has wood and less than 1% has tile floors. Turkana Central constituency has the highest share of cement floors at 16%.That is 15 percentage points above Loima constituency, which has the lowest share of cement floors. Turkana Central is 9 percentage points above the county average. Lodwar Township ward has the highest share of cement floors at 37%.That is 37 percentage points above Lokiriama/Lorengippi, Letea, Songot, Kerio Delta, Kalapata and Katilia wards, which have the lowest share of cement floors. Lodwar Township ward is 30 percentage points above the county average.
Housing » Roofing
In Turkana County, none of the residents have homes with concrete roofs, while 12% have corrugated iron roofs. Grass and makuti roofs constitute 72% of homes, and less than 1% has mud/dung roofs.
Turkana Central constituency has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 25%.That is 23 percentage points above Loima constituency, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Turkana Central constituency is 13 percentage points above the county average. Lobokat ward has the highest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs at 59%.That is 59 percentage points above Letea ward, which has the lowest share of corrugated iron sheet roofs. Lobokat ward is 47 percentage points above the county average.
Turkana East constituency has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 81%.That is 18 percentage points above Turkana Central constituency, which has the lowest share of grass/makuti roofs. Turkana East constituency is 9 percentage points above the county average. Kalapata ward has the highest share of grass/makuti roofs at 100%. This is three times Lobokat ward, which has the lowest share. Kalapata ward is 28 percentage points above the county average.
Housing » Walls
In Turkana County, 4% of homes have either brick or stone walls. 27% of homes have mud/wood or mud/cement walls. 31% has wood walls. 1% has corrugated iron walls. 28% have grass/thatched walls. 9% have tin or other walls.
Turkana Central constituency, which has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 11%. That is 11 percentage points above Loima constituency, which has the lowest share of brick/stone walls. Turkana Central constituency is 7 percentage points above the county average. Lodwar Township ward has the highest share of brick/stone walls at 29%.That is 29 percentage points above Kalapata ward, which has no share of brick/stone walls. Lodwar Township ward is 25 percentage points above the county average.
Turkana East constituency has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at 54%.That is 47 percentage points above Turkana North constituency, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement. Turkana East constituency is 27 percentage points above the county average. Lobokat ward has the highest share of mud with wood/cement walls at76%.That is 38 times Lake Zone ward, which has the lowest share of mud with wood/cement walls. Lobokat ward is 49 percentage points above the county average.
Water
Improved sources of water comprise protected springs, protected wells, boreholes, piped water into dwellings, collected piped and rain water; while unimproved sources include ponds, dams, lake, stream/river, unprotected springs, unprotected wells, jabia, water vendors and other.
In Turkana County, 39% 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 with 38% of male headed households and 41% in female headed households.
Turkana South constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 56%.That is twice Loima constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Turkana South constituency is 17 percentage points above the county average. Lodwar Township ward has the highest share of residents using improved sources of water at 77%.That is 64 percentage points above Loima ward, which has the lowest share using improved sources of water. Lodwar Township ward is 38 percentage points above the county average.
Sanitation
Only 9% of residents in Turkana County use improved sanitation, while the rest use unimproved sanitation. Use of improved sanitation is almost similar by gender, with male headed households at 9% as compared with female headed households at 8%.
Turkana Central constituency has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 17%.That is eight times Loima constituency, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Turkana Central constituency is 8 percentage points above the county average. Lobokat ward has the highest share of residents using improved sanitation at 42%.That is 42 percentage points above Letea ward, which has the lowest share using improved sanitation. Lobokat ward is 33 percentage points above the county average.