Nairobi — Harambee Starlets began their CECAFA Senior Women's Challenge with a 3-0 thrashing of Burundi in Dar-es-Salaam on Sunday evening.

Martha Amunyolet put Kenya in the driving seat after only two minutes, latching onto a long clearance by her goalkeeper Annedy Kundu to hit the back of the net.

The Vihiga Queens' dangerwoman showed a never-say-die spirit to squeeze herself between two defenders before lobbing the ball over an onrushing Faida Habimana in the Burundian goal.

Starlets were two to the good within five minutes, Amunyolet doing well once again to get on to the end of Violet Nasaka's overhead pass from the deep in the Kenyan defence.

As was the case with her first strike, she expertly lifted the ball over Habimana for the second.

Faith Mboya then cemented a good day in the office with the third in added time, curling in at the top left corner after Amunyolet's initial strike had come off the upright.

Kenya are competing in the tournament for the first time since 2019 when they beat Tanzania 2-0 to hoist the trophy in latter's backyard.