Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has told France 24 that he would not approve US drone strikes on al-Shabab militants on Kenyan soil.

The president, who is on a state visit to France, said he had not yet received such a request.

The New York Times had last month quoted unnamed US government sources as saying that the US military was seeking approval to carry out drone strikes against al-Shabab targets in eastern Kenya.

The report came days before a military court in Somalia sentenced an Islamist militant to life in prison for his role in a deadly attack on a US base in Kenya.

It was the first attack by al-Shabab militants on US forces in Kenya.

Kenya has troops in the 20,000-strong Africa Union force battling the militants in Somalia.

The US often carries out air strikes in Somalia to target al-Shabab militants.