In Nairobi, where the hum of mobile money fuels daily life and inflation quietly erodes dreams, a quiet revolution is brewing. At its helm is Martin Mutonga, a visionary who traded skepticism for conviction after discovering bitcoin’s potential to combat Kenya’s entrenched financial struggles—corruption, wealth inequality, and the silent theft of inflation.
Bitcoin Nairobi isn’t just about disrupting M-Pesa’s dominance; it’s about planting seeds of sovereignty. From onboarding popcorn vendors in Kayole to partnering with NGOs in Kakuma, Mutonga’s team is forging a peer-to-peer ecosystem where Kenyans reclaim control over their wealth—one satoshi at a time.
As Nairobi eyes a future as East Africa’s “Orange City,” Mutonga’s story—a blend of faith, resilience, and bitcoin’s promise—offers a blueprint for empowerment. 
First Steps
- What personal experience or moment convinced you to get into bitcoin and champion for it in Kenya?
I first studied bitcoin in Felix Mukungu’s class and was fascinated with it. I immediately wanted to make it known to everyone. I thought of it as a solution to most of the common problems in Kenya like corruption and inflation caused by the government printing money out of thin air.
- Ugali, nyama choma, or mukimo?
Nyama Choma. Bitcoiners eat red meat for life.
Building on Bitcoin
- What leadership principles guide your approach to community-building and advocacy?
I build my products as if I’m building a church. I am a servant of the Lord under First Love Church International and found similarity in the way we preach the message of Jesus to the way we preach the gospel of bitcoin to those who need it the most. Eventually everyone will accept bitcoin at the time they deserve.
- How does Bitcoin Nairobi define “empowering Bitcoin adoption” in Kenya’s unique financial landscape?
Our dream at Bitcoin Nairobi is to see bitcoin transactions in the grassroot level in Nairobi and let people get a chance to decide the money they want to use. Empowering bitcoin adoption to users in a peer 2 peer ecosystem in Kenya’s capital.
- Why is bitcoin adoption critical for Kenya, given the dominance of mobile money like M-Pesa?
We are not trying to compete with M-Pesa, we are just giving the people an alternative since bitcoin still has a long way to go in terms of adoption.
- How do you address skepticism or myths about bitcoin in a market familiar with mobile money?
We try to educate as much on bitcoin as possible because myths are brought about by lack of knowledge.
- How do you educate users to avoid scams and protect their keys in a high-risk environment?
Don’t trust verify.
- Share a story of how Bitcoin Nairobi changed an individual’s or business’s financial trajectory.
There is this merchant we onboarded. He was previously not getting a lot of clients but just because he accepts bitcoin, people now want to buy from him and learn about bitcoin. He is Sam Ragira- located in Kayole Shujaa Mall and sells popcorn.
- What achievements (e.g., events, partnerships, user growth) mark Bitcoin Nairobi’s journey since inception?
Since inception we have collaborated with different communities to ensure bitcoin education. Communities like Afribit Kibera, The Core Trezor Academy Kenya and also Kenyatta University. We will also be having meetups in December.
- Which wallets, nodes, or tools do you recommend to Kenyans for self-custody and low-cost transactions?
We personally recommend coinos.io and btc payserver for self custody we recommend trezor.
- Are you partnering with local businesses, NGOs, or global bitcoin projects?
Yes, Bitcoin Nairobi is currently partnering with an NGO from Kakuma to educate people on bitcoin.
Overcoming Challenges
- What has been the steepest challenge in scaling Bitcoin Nairobi, and how have you overcome it?
The steepest challenge is having a nice software or website which meets our needs in terms of bitcoin education. It’s been a challenge we are overcoming by looking for volunteers in terms of software engineers and developers to help us in doing so.
Another challenge has been funds to build these systems to meet Kenyan needs. We are overcoming this through applying for grants from HRF, Mi premier Bitcoin, Bitcoin Beach, and Geyser Funds.
We have been able to raise at least $1000 which was enough to buy a new laptop for the company, host our website and marketing. Further than that, we are looking to now build more bitcoin products with the incoming grants.
What’s Next?
- One sentence to convince a M-Pesa user to try Bitcoin.
Want to save on transaction costs? Try bitcoin.
- Which Kenyan or global Bitcoiner inspires you most?
Jack Dorsey. The way he gives – I think most of his blessings come from giving and I want to be able to have that blessing of giving at least 100M satoshis per year.
- How will Bitcoin Nairobi reshape Kenya’s financial ecosystem by 2029?
We will move from the Green city under the sun, to the Orange city.
- How can the global bitcoin community support Bitcoin Nairobi’s mission?
We need sats that’s all for good work. Visit geyser.fund/btcnairobi or directly btcnairobi@coinos.io
