Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi

Some twenty years after the original quit notices were served on plot-holders and their tenants in the then African Location of Nakuru, much of "Old Bondeni" is still awaiting demolition. This redevelopment seems imminent and during this latest stage of planning, it is timely to look at the conduct of this "slum" -clearance program to see what guidelines it suggests for the current program and more generally what insight it provides in terms of urban development in Kenya. This paper will deal with several aspects of the Bondeni demolition schemes — the policies adopted by the municipality, the interpretation of these to the population involved, the nature of the response of the affected groups in trying to maintain their interests, and in a very general way, the social cost considerations in slum clearance programs in small cities like Nakuru.