Meet the Founders

Founder/ Director

Engr. Oku Kanayo Egbeni

Founder/ Director, US Trustee

Eng. Oku Kanayo is the Co-Founder and Director of Freedom International Schools – Africa (FISA), the world’s first Afrocentric school offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. Born in Asaba, Nigeria, he holds a BSc in Computer Engineering from the University of Benin and an MSc in Information Systems from Dalarna University, Sweden. Prior to his return to Africa, Oku worked as an ICT engineer and strategist with leading firms including Virgin Media and Hewlett-Packard in the UK. In 2017, not only did he co-found FISA, he personally helped build the school—carrying stones, sand, and cement alongside construction workers, learning the art of building by doing. Today, he continues to lead all construction work on campus and serves as the school’s in-house contractor. Oku is a true polymath—a gifted and multidisciplinary thinker who applies himself masterfully across fields including software and electrical engineering, ICT, construction, mechanical systems, cooking, DJing and sports. He is the visionary behind the Mentorship for Freedom curriculum and remains deeply committed to empowering African children through innovation, identity, and excellence in education

Dr. Utheri Kanayo

Dr. Utheri Kanayo

Co-founder/Principal, US Trustee

DR UTHERI KANAYO studied Education at Undergraduate and Master's level at Kenyatta and Nairobi universities, and an MPhil and PhD in Education at Newnham College, University of Cambridge, UK. She has worked as an academic researcher at The Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, and Research Manager for Camfed International, UK. She is well exposed to Africa’s educational landscape, having carried out research in nine African countries i.e. Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, and Swaziland. In 2013, Utheri and her husband Kanayo quit their well-paying jobs in the UK to return to Kenya and established an NGO called Children in Freedom. They offered scholarships and mentorship to African children, encouraging them to love their African heritage, and use their talents to innovate solutions for their communities. In 2018, Utheri co-founded the first Afrocentric school in East Africa, Children In Freedom School (CIFS). In 2023, the school was ranked among the Top 10 best learning institutions worldwide by the T4 initiatives rankings. In June 2024, CIFS became an International Baccalaureate candidate school and changed its name to Freedom International School-Africa (FISA). Utheri is a member of council for the Open University of Kenya where she chairs the Academic, Research and Linkages committee. She is also The Special Africa Advisor for The Beacon Equity Trust, and a Metis fellow.