KVF vice-chairman Martin Makokha confirmed that the team has pulled out of the competition, due to begin tomorrow and conclude on January 14.

"The team is no longer in camp," said Makokha in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.

"We are releasing the players to return home because we cannot afford to send the team to Brazzaville."

The event will now feature 21 teams with the winner of the competition earning a spot at Rio 2016.

The countries who finish second and third in the Congolese capital, which played host to the 2015 All-Africa Games, will have another chance of booking a place at the Games in the Brazilian city at the Intercontinental Olympic Qualification Tournament in May or June.

Egypt, reigning African Volleyball Championship gold medallists, are due to compete alongside the likes of Tunisia, Africa’s sole representative at London 2012.

The KVF remains hopeful, however, of sending its women’s team to Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé for their qualifiers, due to be held from February 12 to 19.

Kenyan Government officials have been accused of favouring the better-performing women’s side ahead of their male counterparts, who struggle to obtain international exposure.

Kenya’s men’s team coach Paul Gitau, who was in charge of the women's "B" team which triumphed at last year’s All-Africa Games, described it as a "shame".

"I cannot tell why the Government should deny our young men an opportunity to compete at the biggest sporting event in the world," he said.

Kenya has twice competed in women’s volleyball at the Olympics, suffering group stage elimination at both Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 without winning a game. 

Brazil were the first country to qualify for Rio 2016 as hosts and have since been joined by China and Serbia, winners and runners-up respectively at the 2015 World Cup in Japan.