A man accused of posing as a Catholic priest at the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar has been released on a cash bail of Sh100,000 after denying charges of forgery and uttering a false document.
Jones Onchongo appeared before Magistrate Evanson Nginji, where he pleaded not guilty to allegations that he forged and presented a fake ordination certificate purportedly issued by the Diocese of Morogoro in Tanzania.
According to the prosecution, Onchongo forged the certificate on August 12, 2026, within the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar.
The document purported to certify the ordination of Fr Joseph and Fr Ebenyo Muhame.
He is also accused of knowingly and fraudulently presenting the certificate as a genuine document issued by the Diocese of Morogoro, despite it allegedly being false.
The latest charges follow an earlier case in which Onchongo was charged with personation contrary to Section 382 of the Penal Code.
Prosecutors allege that between July 31 and August 12, 2026, at the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar in Turkana Central, Turkana County, he used deception to convince Bishop John Mbinda and the diocese’s leadership that he was an ordained priest.
The prosecution claims the alleged misrepresentation enabled him to conduct church meetings within the diocese.
The matter will be mentioned on December 17, for further directions.
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