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.