A man has been charged with forging an ordination certificate and allegedly posing as an ordained priest to gain access to church activities within the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar in Turkana County.
Jones Onchongo appeared before the court, where he denied the charges brought against him over the alleged forgery and impersonation.
The prosecution alleges that Onchongo forged an ordination certificate on August 12, 2026, within the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar.
The document was purportedly issued by the Diocese of Morogoro in Tanzania and related to Fr. Joseph and Fr. Ebenyo Muhame.
He faces a forgery charge under Section 351 of the Penal Code over the alleged creation of the certificate.
Onchongo is also accused of knowingly and fraudulently presenting the document as genuine to Fr. Joseph Ebenyo, despite it allegedly being forged.
The prosecution further alleges that Onchongo impersonated an ordained priest between July 31 and August 12, 2026.
According to the charges, he allegedly used deceptive means to convince Bishop Rev. John Mbinda and other leaders of the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar that he was a legitimate ordained priest.
The court heard that the alleged deception enabled him to conduct church meetings within the diocese.
He faces an additional charge of personation under Section 382 of the Penal Code over the alleged misrepresentation of his identity and status.
The case involves allegations concerning the authenticity of church credentials and the representation made to religious leaders before Onchongo was permitted to conduct meetings within the diocese.
The prosecution is being handled by James Kinyua and Levis Mulamba, while Hon. Evanson Nginji is the presiding judicial officer.
Onchongo was released on a cash bail of KSh100,000 after pleading not guilty to the charges.
The court scheduled the matter for mention on December 17, 2026, when the case is expected to come up for further directions.
The allegations against Onchongo remain unproven, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of law.
