Nakuru school eyeing prestigious Sh 130 million Global Schools Prize after bagging first category prize award

Nakuru’s Freedom International Schools has won the Arts and Culture category in the Sh 130 million Global Schools Prize 2026.

The Varkey Foundation's initiative is celebrating the world’s most innovative and impactful schools, reimagining education for the future.

The school, formerly known as the Children in Freedom schools, has been selected from almost 3,000 nominations and applications from 113 countries worldwide.

After winning the Arts and Culture winner, Freedom International Schools will receive $50,000 (Sh 6.5 million) alongside a Global Schools Prize Badge, recognizing its extraordinary leadership and impact in advancing creativity-driven education.

The school, serving about 200 students, has also been named as one of the Top 10 finalists for the Global Schools Prize 2026, with the overall winner – and recipient of an additional $500,000 (Sh 64,575,000) prize – set to be announced at the Education World Forum on 19 May.

This comes five years after Peter Tabichi, a mathematics and science teacher who teaches at Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School in Njoro sub-county, won the Global Teacher Prize in March 2019, putting Nakuru County on the global map.

Tabichi, a Franciscan Brother, was also awarded for donating 80 per cent of his salary to support students under the 2019 Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize, by transforming his school, which faced severe resource shortages, into a top performer in national science competitions.

Founded by renowned education pioneer and philanthropist Sunny Varkey, the $1 million (Sh 129 million) Global Schools Prize is the largest prize of its kind. Today’s top 10 announcement recognizes outstanding schools worldwide that demonstrate exceptional drive and ambition for their students, regardless of circumstance, ensuring every learner has the chance to thrive.