Alex Apoko alias Ringtone he has been making conflicting claims about the source of his wealth in several interviews over the past years.
The controversial singer claims he started making money by visiting several high schools and selling his VCDs and t-shirts at a cheap price.
In a January 2022 interview with Kiss FM, Ringtone reiterated the story of making money from selling VCDs in schools.
“I have money. Let Kenyan women know that I have money. I have made all this money by being smart and not breaking the law. I am an artist who uses his brain.
“I used to visit ten schools in a week. I preferred girls’ schools because they appreciate talent more. I could make Sh50,000 a trip.”
“One girls’ school has around 1000 students. I used to go with my music, and sell each CD at Sh100. If I sell to half the students, that’s already fifty thousand in my pocket,” Ringtone said.
He further explained that his background inspired him to start visiting schools as he used his own story to motivate students to work hard and dream big.
“I was abandoned by my mother, and my dad died before I could meet him. I was a street boy. So when I go to those schools I let them know that I want to tell their students that I am a polished street boy and give them my story about how I became the man I am today,” Ringtone said.
In past interviews, Ringtone also claimed to have made money in the political campaigns leading up to the 2013 general elections.
“I met president Uhuru Kenyatta who was then the Minister for Finance in 2012 at a homecoming gig for Eugene Wamalwa held at the Municipal Stadium in Kitale. When I took to the stage the two got up and danced to my song. I was paid Ksh200,000 for the performance,” Ringtone claimed.
The controversial singer also alleged that he signed a contract with Uhuru and was paid Ksh500,000 for each day in 90 days giving him a cool Ksh45 million at the end of the campaign period.
Ringtone said he used the money he got from campaigning for Uhuru in 2013 to set up a multi-million recording studio, purchased a mansion in Runda and a five-acre parcel in Karen, not to mention his fleet of high-end vehicles. All these in the space of two years. Does it add up?
Well, here is where it gets really interesting. Ringtone has been linked to land-grabbing cartel that operates from Ardhi House.
The controversial singer has been caught up in multiple land grabbing scandals – especially involving property in Runda and Karen.
Ringtone has been accused by many people of using the Ardhi House mafia to fleece aging citizens of land through corrupt deals.
In 2016, Ringtone made headlines in Kenya and UK when he was accused of grabbling a 5.2-acre parcel of land along Ushirika Road in Karen, Nairobi.
In the case of the five-acre parcel which Ringtone claims to own, the land belonged to Rogers Bryan Robson – a second generation British settler who died without a family.
The Will of Mr. Robson drawn up in 1997 clearly stated that his Karen property and a half-acre plot with flats next to the Nairobi Hospital in Upper Hill, be sold and the proceeds shared between his nephew and several charitable organizations.
The executor, lawyer Guy Elms, wanted to pass the Ksh500 million estate to the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Kenya Forestry Service, but since Robson’s death, the Karen property has been occupied multiple times by invaders, including Ringtone.
Robson’s brother wrote to the Kenyan government and the British Foreign Office to complain about Ringtone grabbing the dead man’s Ksh500 million estate.
In another weak justification of how he came to own Karen property, Ringtone told radio presenter Jalang’o that late Rogers Bryan Robson gifted him his property.
“I’m not part of a cartel. I’m a gospel artist and all I own are gifts given to me by my fans. Rodger was a fan of my music. I’m not a land-grabber,” Ringtone said.
Roger Bryan Robson died on August 8th, 2012 at the age of 71. The septuagenarian loved Ringtone’s music so much that he decided to give him his Ksh500 million estate??
Robson’s Karen property aside, Ringtone has also been accused of grabbing his Runda home where he currently stays.
AGN Kamau Advocates issued a notice to Ringtone to vacate the Runda property within 10 days in a letter dated September 28th 2021.
According to documents, the Runda home which is situated on parcel number L.R. 7785/94 previously belonged to Mona Ingegard Bjorklund, a Swedish national who died on July 5th, 2007.
The property measuring 0.537200 hectares has been in Bjorklund’s name since 28 May, 1979, according to the Lands Registrar.
Daniel Carling, the administrator of Bjorklund’s properties, has already filed a case in court seeking to repossess the property from the singer.
In court documents, the administrator accused Ringtone of trespassing upon the multimillion shilling Runda property.
“The provisions of the Law of Succession Act mandatorily requires the administrator of the said estate to collect all the assets thereto and thereafter deal with the same in accordance with the said provisions. It is well within the knowledge of the said administrator and your good self that at all material times you wrongfully, unlawfully and without any color of right whatsoever trespassed upon the estate’s property designate L.R. 7785/94 IS NO. 33637 You continue with such trespass to date Our instructions are to give you notice which we do hereby do requiring you to cease with your acts of trespass forthwith and to hand over the said property to our client through us within 10 days from the date hereof,” the letter read in part.
Ringtone had earlier claimed that the Swedish national left him the Ksh500 million Runda property but later stated that he bought it.
The controversial singer quickly moved to court to fight the eviction notice, he is buying time filing one injunction after another.
In October 2021, Twitter bigwig Abraham Mutai called on DCI to arrest Ringtone saying many families in Karen are suffering because he is grabbing their land.
“The @DCI_Kenya has to STOP this crook called Ringtone. Families are suffering in Karen. They just show up at a property, fence it or grab it in cahoots with highly placed officials at City hall. Families are crying. @DCI_Kenya Kindly, you must come to the rescue of these families,” Mutai tweeted.
