Kenyan gospel artiste Alex Nyanchonga Apoko, popularly known as Ringtone, has been remanded after a Nairobi court denied him bail in connection with a Ksh50 million land fraud case.
He appeared in court on Thursday, May 15, before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego. The prosecution alleged that on February 28, 2023, the accused conspired to fraudulently acquire the land.
Ringtone and his co-accused, Alfred Juma Ayora, pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud businesswoman Teresia Adhiambo Odhiambo.
The prosecution claims the duo falsely asserted adverse possession of the land, a 0.1908-hectare plot located in Karen, Nairobi.
According to the prosecutor, Ayora knowingly lied in the affidavit filed in court about residing on the land for over 20 years, a fact that he knew to be false.
Ayora allegedly gave false testimony in a judicial proceeding before the Environment and Land Court, where he was the petitioner and Odhiambo and the Chief Land Registrar were the respondents.
Ringtone's repeated absences from previous court sessions, citing illness, led to a warrant for his arrest issued on May 7, 2025.
His lawyer presented medical documents, but the court found them inadmissible due to authenticity concerns.
Magistrate Alego ordered both accused to be remanded at the Industrial Area Prison until Monday, May 19, when a pre-bail report will be presented and their bail application reconsidered.
The latest incident adds to the growing number of cases reported against fraudulent real estate dealings, particularly in Nairobi, where unsuspecting individuals, including foreigners, have lost their money.
On April 23, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) called on Kenyans allegedly conned by a fraudulent Nairobi-based real estate company owner to file their complaints at the DCI headquarters.
The plea followed a complaint filed at the DCI headquarters in December last year, in which the real estate company owner was accused of soliciting Ksh6.4 million from a complainant.
