Uhuru Kenyatta urges African states to shun aid

Nairobi -  Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged African countries to end their reliance on foreign aid, saying the future of the continent cannot be left to outside forces.

In a message posted to his Twitter account Friday, Kenyatta says foreign aid often carries unacceptable conditions and is not a solid basis for prosperity and freedom in Africa.

Kenyatta's remarks come ahead of an African Union summit meeting on Saturday. Kenya's relations with the West have sometimes appeared strained since he came to power in 2013.

He has accused the West of interfering in Kenya's internal affairs. At the time he was facing charges for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, which he said the West was using as a tool for regime change.

The ICC later dropped the charges.