Nairobi — Kenyan coach Roger Harper leads the national cricket team to Uganda for a series of friendly matches starting this Saturday.

Tom Tikolo, who is the Cricket Kenya (CK) chief executive officer, on Wednesday said the 17-man team departs Thursday at 11am for the one-week tour of Uganda.

"Everyone is in good form and we are all looking forward to the trip. We are hopeful the team will test some of the new tricks they've learnt in training over the past few days," he said.

The national team is programmed to play one-dayers on Saturday, Sunday and Monday with a three-dayer batting off next Friday.

Tikolo reiterated the tour is aimed at keeping the team playing ahead of next year's World Cup scheduled for March 5 to April 28 in the West Indies.

"We've to keep the team in good shape by engaging the players in quality international matches," said Tikolo.

The Kenyans are thirsty of victory after a string of poor results this year.

The team, struggling to rediscover its winning ways, has lost virtually all competitive matches this year.

Playing at home, they were held to a draw by the Netherlands in the Intercontinental Cup match in April,

lost 0-3 to Bangladesh in June before losing 0-3 against Australian Academy last month in some of the matches.

The squad has been training at the Aga Khan Sports Centre and Ruaraka Sports Club for the last two weeks in

preparation for the Uganda tour.

While naming the travelling team last Monday, CK made one change to the squad that played against Australian Academy in Nairobi last month.

In the change, leg spinner Jimmy Kamande has replaced teenage batsman Rakeb Patel who is busy at school.

Veteran team captain Steve Tikolo, who missed the Australian series, is back in the team.

Besides coaching the team, Harper will double up as manager, the position previously held by Davinder Bharij.

Bharij is in Barbados attending a team managers' meeting for teams that have qualified for the World Cup.

The team named by CK include: Steve Tikolo (captain), Thomas Odoyo (deputy (captain), Tony Suji, Collins Obuya, Jimmy Kamande and Peter Ongondo.

Also in the team are David Obuya, Maurice Ouma, Tanmay Mishra, Malhar Patel, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Hiren Varaiya, Kennedy Otieno and Alfred Luseno.

Officials are: Harper (coach/team manager), Alfred Njuguna (deputy coach) and Wyclifee Otieno (physiotherapist).