More than half of Kenyaâ€™s wildlife is found outside protected areas. However, itsrncontinued existence in these areas is threatened by changes in land-use patterns. Thernpresent study investigated wildlife density, distribution, abundance, and factorsrninfluencing settlements in ranches that have been partially sub-divided, completely subdividedrnand the ones that have not undergone any sub-division in Machakos andrnMakueni districts, Kenya. Data on density and abundance by day and night wasrncollected over a six month period in two seasons by means of transect counts, coveringrna distance of 1182 kilometers and analysed using DISTANCE software programme.rnData on settlements was obtained by digitizing survey plans for four farms in ArcViewrn3.2 programme revealing 5456 smallholder plots of land ranging from 2 to 30 acres.rnDistribution of wildlife species was also obtained by means of the same programme. Inrntotal, 32 wild animal species were recorded in the study area, out of which eight wererncategorised as preferred cheetah prey. The results show that settlements in the subdividedrnparts of the study area are influenced by the availability of water and transportrninfrastructure. Wildlife density was lowest in the partially sub-divided ranches andrnhighest in the unsubdivided ones. Although density varied significantly between dayrnand night, there was no seasonal variation. The total sub-division of two ranches andrncontinued settlements will have an effect on the wildlife as farming and settlement takernplace. It is suggested that monitoring of wildlife and settlement patterns be continuedrnand strategies developed to encourage wildlife conservation.rnKey words: Abundance, conservation, density, protected area, seasonal variation,rnsettlements, wildlife.