Shock as Gospel Star Ringtone Faces Charges in Ksh50 Million Runda Land Fraud
Popular Kenyan gospel artist Alex Apoko, famously known as Ringtone, was taken to court on Thursday, May 15, over a land fraud case involving a Ksh50 million property in Nairobi’s upscale Runda estate.
According to a statement from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Ringtone appeared at the Milimani Law Courts to face serious charges including conspiracy to defraud, giving false statements under oath, and perjury.
The DCI explained that the case revolves around a 0.1908-hectare piece of land, which Ringtone allegedly tried to claim illegally. The property reportedly belongs to a woman who raised the alarm after she was unlawfully dispossessed.
The complaint, filed on May 18, 2023, accused Ringtone and his alleged partner, Juma Ayoro, of forcefully evicting the caretaker and taking control of the property using hired goons. This led the legal owner to seek help from the authorities.
“The suspects are accused of storming the Runda home, throwing out the caretaker, and taking over the house. The woman, who legally owns the land, reported the incident to the DCI,” the agency said in its statement.
Following the complaint, DCI’s Land Fraud Unit began a detailed investigation. Detectives discovered what they called a “web of lies.” They found that Ringtone and his co-accused filed a fake affidavit on February 28, 2023, claiming he had lived on the land for over 20 years, and therefore had legal rights to it.
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However, investigations showed that the woman has legally owned the property since March 14, 2000, and has paid all land rates and utility bills faithfully for more than two decades.
After gathering enough evidence, detectives secured an arrest warrant for Ringtone on April 14, 2025. But the singer reportedly went into hiding and managed to avoid police for several weeks.
“Detectives finally tracked Ringtone to a hideout in Kasarani, where he was arrested and taken into custody,” the DCI added.
Ringtone has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was denied bail and is currently being held at the Industrial Area Remand Prison.
He is expected to return to court on Monday, where the judge will hear his application for bail.
Shock as Gospel Star Ringtone Faces Charges in Ksh50 Million Runda Land Fraud
