Samidoh in 'Toxic Love' melody storm

When two(2) months ago police officer cum artist Samuel Muchoki alias Samidoh released the single Wendo wa Ihera (Toxic Love), it swept Mt Kenya region's music lovers off their feet, it's views hitting a million mark in just a week.

The song that was produced with a country music touch talks of a man struggling to escape the snare of love full of inequality, suffering but captive.

This came as Samidoh was in an online drama with nominated senator Karen Nyamu, both taking the entertainment space to hit out at each other, portending a breakup.

The song coincided with Nyamu's online reel where she was begging netizens to pray for her to escape feelings for Samidoh, in turn, Samidoh appearing in night shows taunting her as a love he was speedily running away from.

Those who understand the Gikuyu language that has been used to produce the song were busy getting slapped by the hit, loving it and making it a relationship kind of an anthem when the shocker hit.

The track to suddenly disappeared from YouTube on February 4, 2025, when it had hit over 2 million views after copyright issues arose.
In what has become a messy dispute where artist SK Ruri has claimed that Samidoh stole his melody to package ‘Toxic Love’.

Before the politics behind the dispute became clearer, the name of a Kirinyaga county born comedian, Morey wa Kibiru had emerged as the man who had reported Samidoh's song leading to it getting pulled down.

Immediately the hit disappeared from online space, fans took sides, Samidoh lovers and haters coming out strongly in uncensored combat.

"If a police officer can do this then what is left for us as civilians?" Posed Maggy Dee.

But another, Paul Kim2020 said "as long as Samidoh song comes back I have no problem...I had downloaded it and you cannot delete it from my computer".

An anonymous user congratulated YouTube for suspending the song from visibility "and I will stand witness to demonstrate that Samidoh is in the wrong".

The conflict that saw Samidoh threaten legal action against "all those involved in injuring my reputation and entertainment standings" attracted the interest of area musical veterans.

Peter Kigia wa Esther said "this conflict is not good for us, that is not how we should aspire to be settling our disputes, we have inexhaustible avenues of coming up with an amicable solution".

Samidoh's producer Mr Waweru Uyu sought to pull the rag off the feet of the complainant Mr SK Rurii saying "even the dates he is peddling are wrong and indicts him as the possible thief of our melody".

He said that ‘Toxic Love’ was first mooted by Samidoh in July 2023 and had undergone several reformations before it was released into the market.

"On the contrary that our song is a pirated version of the complainant's, I wish to make an observation that the said song was released an year later after we had developed the melody and affixed it into our lyrics," Mr Uyu said.

He slammed: "'Toxic Love' by Samidoh was first shared in July 2023.

This other song now dragging us into a conflict was released in July 2024. I can release videos that can explain everything in details as we wait for the law to take it's course".

As the back and forth war raged, Mr Ruri released a link that sought to provide evidence that his song was uploaded on You Tube in May 2020, three years before Samidoh landed the ‘Toxic Love’ idea.

He insisted that he had been injured in many ways by Samidoh's act of piracy. 

Mr wa Kibiru on February 6, 2025 through his IYESAFRICA LTD promotion outfit distanced himself from the fiasco saying he owns no copyright in the battling hits.

"I wish to categorically disassociate ourselves from any claims or involvement in the alleged removal of the song Toxic Love, which is said to resemble that calledThutha wa Maundu by SK Ruri. For clarity, Thutha wa Maundu is a song by Rurii hence I have no ownership or control over it," he said in the statement.

He said his only engagement in relation to the ‘Thutha wa Maundu’ song was "facilitating the hiring of the brand character Bwana Fransis Church Secretary which I characterised and I was paid Sh50,000 as my fees".

He said he had no grounds to push for the removal of Samidoh's song from YouTube, the arising conflict, he said, should be restricted to Samidoh and Ruri as the relevant parties in the matter.

"IYESAFRICA LTD remains committed to professionalism and transparency in all its dealings... Any claims suggesting our involvement in the alleged actions regarding Toxic Love song are unfounded and misleading," he said.

It now remains to be seen how this fiasco will go down, who will emerge the winner and costs resultant.