The national netball team left the country on Friday for South Africa where they are set to compete in the Africa Cup 2022 in Pretoria.
The tournament also doubles up as the second of five qualifiers for the Netball World Cup 2023 (NWC2023).
Kenya, who have sent a team of 12 players and five officials, will face Zambia, Eswatini and Malawi in the qualifiers set for August 20-29.
Team Kenya are currently ranked 40th in the world and face a stern test to qualify for the global show. Uganda are ranked sixth, Malawi are seventh, Zimbabwe are 13th, Zambia are 17th, Namibia are 23rd and Botswana are 28th.
The competition will be played in a round-robin format with the nine teams split into two pools based on the most recent results from the Africa Cup 2021 final placings.
The two top finishing teams from the event will be invited by World Netball to compete at the NWC2023, this does not include South Africa who have already pre-qualified for the NWC2023 as hosts.
The team, known as the Divas, are under the tutelage of Joseph Makau with Parin Simiyu the skipper.
Shooter Lydia Nyapere and midcourt Irene Anyango, who earned their first call-ups to the national team at the 2019 Africa Championship, have also joined the team.
Other notable inclusions are seasoned shooter Bridgit Nanzala and ever-green defender Florence Ndombi. Kenya open their campaign against Zambia on Sunday.
