The Kenyan government announced on Thursday that it is serious about the east African nation's qualification to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua told journalists during his weekly briefing that they would put efforts in place to inspire national football team Harambee Stars to qualify.

"The sports minister is already working on such plans and we are determined that Kenya is one of the teams that will qualify for the World Cup," Mutua told journalists in Nairobi.

He said there is need to strengthen the domestic league to make it more competitive and churn out quality players.

The east African nation did not qualify for the recently concluded World Cup in Germany and plans to hire a foreign coach to help make it qualify for the next World Cup, which will be staged for the first time in Africa.