The present study was carried out in MelU National Park, Kenya and adjacent farms fromrnSeptember 2000 to February 2001. The diversity and distribution of bats based on vegetationrndisturbance and plant species cover/abundance were examined. Four hundred and ninety fivern(495) bats representing the families Pteropodidae (2 species), Megadermatidae (2 species),rnVespertilionidae (4 species), Molossidae (3 species), Hipposidetidae (2 species), Nyctetidaern(l species) and Rhinolophidae (1 species) were recorded. Four species: --Nycteris arge,rnMyotis welwitschii, Tadarida cistllra and Tadarida acetabllloslls had not been previouslyrnrecorded in eastem Kenya. Open Acacia woodland consisted of the highest proportion of batsrn(38%) and the fatms consisted the least (8.9%). The species EP01l10p/lOrlls iabiatlls,rnEp0Il10p/IOI'/IS wahlbergi and Cardioderll1a cor were captured in all the vegetationrncommunities and on the farms. Both COll1brefllm wooded grassland and Acacia-Coll1llliphorarnbushland had the highest species richness (S = 9) while open Acacia woodland and the farmsrnhad 7 and 4 species respectively. Bat species diversity was highest in the COll1bretlll1l woodedrngrassland (H' = 1.70 and D = 4.6) and least on the farms (H'= 0.955 and D = 1.99). Similarly,rnShannon's evenness index was highest in the COll1bretum wooded grassland (E = 0.76) butrnleast in the Open Acacia woodland (E = 0.52). Most species of bats were found to be mostlyrnassociated with COll1bretlll1l wooded grassland and Acacia-Coll1l11ip/lOra bushland and leastrnwith open Acacia woodland indicating probable disturbance in the open Acacia woodlandrnrelative to other vegetation communities in the park. Bat species diversity conelatedrnpositively with plant species diversity in all plant species assemblages except assemblage 4.rnThe low species tichness and diversity and increased dominance of a few generalist species inrnthe open Acacia woodland and on the farms may reflect different levels of disturbance. Thernabsence of rare and specialist bats on the farms may be a fUlther indication of the effects ofrnhabitat disturbance on the diversity and distribution of bats.