The Kenya National Fire Brigades Association (KENFIBA) has purportedly become the first labor union in the country to adopt a Bitcoin ( BTC ) reserve.

Funded through a “get off zero” donation facilitated by Proof of Workforce, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping unions and workers adopt Bitcoin, the announcement took place at the Africa Bitcoin Conference on Dec. 11. 

According to a social media post from Proof of Workforce, the cryptocurrency fund will serve to help expand Kenya’s firefighting efforts. The nonprofit also said that KENFIBA may not just be the first union in Kenya to adopt Bitcoin, it may very well be the first of its kind on the entire continent. 

Fire Brigades Association becomes first Kenyan labor union to hold BTC image 0

Proof of Workforce said KENFIBA may be the first union in Africa to adopt a Bitcoin reserve. Source: Proof of Workforce

“KENFIBA, The Kenya National Fire Brigades Association, adds Bitcoin onto their balance sheet, becoming the first labor union in Kenya to hold Bitcoin! Potentially, the first labor union on the continent to hold Bitcoin.”

A person posting under the name James Otudor, whose profile indicates is a news media expert, responded to the claim with a correction indicating that “a group of Academic Staff Union of University in a popular federal university in Nigeria” holds a Bitcoin reserve.

Cointelegraph was unable to independently verify the claim based on the information given. 

Bitcoin as an accelerator 

The goal of the program, according to Magdalena Gronowska, an adviser to Proof of Workforce, is to help KENFIBA with their “emergency response, membership, and recruitment efforts by placing Bitcoin on their balance sheet.”

Gronowska posted on X.com after the announcement, adding that KENFIBA and Proof of Workforce had discussed how Bitcoin could benefit the union’s workers. She added that “Kenya, a nation of 56 million people, has [approximately] 1,400 firefighters — for perspective, Toronto, with 3 million, has 3,200 uniformed personnel.”

Related: Stablecoins now 43% of Sub-Saharan Africa crypto tx volume: Chainalysis

As Cointelegraph recently reported, cryptocurrency, blockchain, and AI adoption are all priorities throughout most of Africa as several governments rally behind the current wave of progress.

Algeria, Benin, Egypt, Mauritius, Rwanda and Senegal have all established official AI programs while other nations, such as Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and more have passed policy measures to spur technological growth. 

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