Fake Lodwar Priest Charged Afresh With Forging Ordination Certificate

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 13 – The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has charged Jones Onchongo afresh with forgery and uttering a false document in a case involving allegations that he posed as an ordained Catholic priest at the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar in Turkana County.

According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Onchongo was charged with forgery contrary to Section 351 of the Penal Code over an allegedly fabricated ordination certificate purportedly issued by the Diocese of Morogoro in Tanzania.

The prosecution alleges that on August 12, 2026, within the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar, Onchongo forged a certificate of ordination purportedly issued by the Tanzanian diocese in the name of Fr Joseph Ebenyo Muhame.

He was also charged with uttering a false document, with prosecutors alleging that he knowingly and fraudulently presented the certificate as a genuine document issued by the Diocese of Morogoro.

The ODPP said the certificate was presented as authentic despite allegedly being fake.

Earlier charged with impersonating a priest

The fresh 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, he falsely presented himself as an ordained priest.

According to the prosecution, Onchongo allegedly used deception to make Bishop John Mbinda and the leadership of the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar believe that he was a legitimately ordained Catholic priest.

He is accused of exploiting that alleged misrepresentation to gain access to church activities and conduct meetings within the diocese.

The prosecution maintains that he knew he was not an ordained priest, contrary to the impression he allegedly created among church leaders.

The allegations formed the basis of the initial personation charge before the additional forgery-related charges were brought against him.

Court grants Sh100,000 cash bail

Onchongo denied the earlier personation charge when he appeared before the court.

He was released on a cash bail of Sh100,000 as the case proceeded through the court system.