The 33-year-old spin bowling all-rounder wants to spend more time with his family, with his wife due to give birth next month.

Odumbe is, however, in the squad for a six-nation tournament in Namibia which starts next week.

He led Kenya to their greatest cricket triumph when they beat West Indies by 73 runs during the 1996 World Cup, but lost the job the following year, only to be re-appointed in 1999.

Odumbe's time in charge has not been short of incident, with 11 members of the national team sacked at the beginning of last year in a row over money with the Kenyan Cricket Association.

They were eventually re-instated after threatening to take legal action and the matter was resolved.

But Odumbe was handed a two-match ban last October for publicly criticisng umpire Dave Orchard following a nine-wicket defeat by South Africa in a one-day international.

The six-nation event will feature all four non-Test playing nations who will be involved in next year's World Cup, with Namibia, Holland and Canada having qualified via the ICC Trophy.

Sri Lanka A and Zimbabwe A will also be taking part.