A married father of two, Jones Bogonko Onchonga, faces imprisonment in Kenya for allegedly pretending to be a Catholic priest and performing religious duties at several churches in Turkana County.
Onchonga reportedly gained access to the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar by allegedly using forged church documents to support his claim that he was an ordained priest, according to Kenyan publication Tuko.
He is accused of celebrating Mass and participating in other religious activities at various Catholic worship centres, including St Augustine Cathedral in Kalokol, St Thomas Chapel and St Mary’s Lodaraja.
His alleged impersonation was discovered after photographs emerged showing him celebrating Mass alongside the Bishop of Lodwar, Rt. Rev. John Mbinda, C.S.Sp.
The development raised concerns within the Catholic community and led the Diocese of Lodwar to clarify that Onchonga was not a priest of the Catholic Church.
In a statement signed by Bishop Mbinda, the Diocese said Onchonga had no priestly authority or official role within the Church. It also warned parishioners and the public against allowing him to conduct religious or priestly activities.
Onchonga was charged with identity theft under Article 382 of Kenya’s Penal Code, an offence that carries a possible prison sentence of up to three years upon conviction.
He initially pleaded guilty when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Evanson Ngigi on August 14. However, he later changed his plea to not guilty when he appeared before Magistrate Michael Lokitam on August 17.
According to the charge sheet, Onchonga allegedly presented himself as an ordained Catholic priest between July 31 and August 12 in Turkana Central Sub-County.
He is accused of falsely telling Bishop Mbinda and officials of the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar that he was authorised to hold church meetings and administer the sacraments.
Onchonga remains in custody after failing to meet the bail conditions set by the court. The conditions include a KSh100,000 ($773.10) bond with a surety or KSh50,000 ($386.25) cash bail.