- The Director of Public Prosecutions filed fresh charges against Jones Onchongo, who was arrested at the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar
- Onchongo allegedly forged a certificate of ordination purportedly issued by the Diocese of Morogoro, Tanzania
- The accused, who is married with two children, pleaded not guilty and was released on cash bail of KSh 100,000
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Nancy Odindo is a current affairs writer at Tuko.co.ke (joined in 2023). She has one year of experience in print and more than five years in digital media.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has filed additional charges against Jones Onchongo, a man who allegedly posed as an ordained Catholic priest at the Diocese of Lodwar in Turkana county.
Source: Facebook
Prosecution counsel told the court that on August 12, 2026, Onchongo forged a certificate of ordination within the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar, purportedly issued by the Diocese of Morogoro in Tanzania to Fr. Joseph and Fr. Ebenyo Muhame, contrary to section 351 of the Penal Code.
Fresh charges against the accused
A second charge of uttering a false document was preferred against Onchongo.
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"It is alleged that Onchongo knowingly and fraudulently uttered a false certificate of ordination purportedly issued by the Diocese of Morogoro, Tanzania, to Fr. Joseph Ebenyo, purporting the said certificate to be a genuine document issued by the Diocese of Morogoro, Tanzania, whereas it was fake," the prosecution said.
These charges come on top of an earlier count of personation filed against Onchongo under section 382 of the Penal Code.
According to that charge, between July 31, 2026, and August 12, 2026, he deceived Bishop Rev. John Mbinda and the leadership of the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar into believing he was a legitimately ordained priest.
As a result of that deception, he was permitted to conduct church meetings within the diocese.
Court proceedings and bail
Onchongo appeared before Honourable Evanson Nginji and entered a plea of not guilty to all charges. The court released him on a cash bail of KSh 100,000. The matter is scheduled to be mentioned again on December 17, 2026.
The case was prosecuted by James Kinyua and Levis Mulamba on behalf of the DPP's office.
Onchongo, who is reported to be married with two children, reportedly gained the trust of the diocese's leadership through sustained deception over a period of nearly two weeks before his arrest.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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