A man accused of impersonating a Catholic priest has been remanded at Lodwar G.K. Prison after being arraigned on charges of personation.

The accused, Jones Bogonko Onchonga, is alleged to have posed as an ordained Catholic priest and conducted religious duties within the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar.

Onchonga first appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Evanson Ngigi at the Lodwar Law Courts on August 14, 2026, where he pleaded guilty to the offence of personation contrary to Section 382 of the Penal Code.

However, when he was presented again on August 17, 2026, before Resident Magistrate Michael Lokitam, he changed his plea to not guilty. The prosecution did not oppose the change of plea.

The particulars of the offence state that between July 31 and August 12, 2026, at the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar in Turkana Central Sub-County, Turkana County, Onchonga willfully and by false pretences tricked Rt. Rev. Bishop John Mbinda and the leadership of the Diocese into believing that he was a duly ordained Catholic priest authorized to conduct church meetings and administer sacraments, a fact he knew to be false.

The court granted him a bond of KSh100,000 with one surety of a similar amount, or an alternative cash bail of KSh50,000. He remains remanded at Lodwar G.K. Prison pending payment.

Magistrate Lokitam set August 31, 2026 for mention and October 13, 2026 for hearing of the case.

Church disowns him…

In a public notice issued on August 16, 2026, the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar officially disowned Onchonga, terming him an imposter.

In the notice signed by Bishop John Mbinda, the Diocese informed all Christians and clergy that one Rev. Fr. Jones Bogonko Onchonga, M.C., is not a Catholic priest. The Bishop revealed that the man is in fact a married man with two children in Kisii.

According to the Diocese, he committed serious violations of Canon Law, including:

(i)Canon 1379:Pretending to administer sacraments.
(ii)Canon 1378: Unauthorized celebration of Mass.
(iii)Canon 1381: Usurpation of an ecclesiastical office.
(vi)Canon 1391:
Falsification of ecclesiastical documents

How the deception was uncovered

Investigations show that Onchonga had fully integrated himself into the Diocese’s activities.

On August 5, 2026, he was among the priests who accompanied Bishop Mbinda at St. Augustine Cathedral Church during a Holy Mass that preceded the official launch of the Legion of Mary in the Diocese.

His conduct came under scrutiny on August 9, 2026, when he celebrated Mass at St. Mary’s Shrine, Lodwaraja, near River Kawalase. During the Mass, faithful noticed irregularities in the way he conducted the liturgy. He reportedly appeared tense and even left the altar in the middle of the service.

A photograph of him celebrating the mass was later shared on a WhatsApp group that includes priests and the bishop, sparking discussions and raising alarm over his liturgical errors.

Upon inquiry, it was discovered that Onchonga had claimed to have met the bishop earlier and after exchanging contacts, he was invited to Lodwar. On arrival, he was warmly received by a nun and was even accommodated at the bishop’s residence.

The Church has since confirmed that all documents he presented as proof of his priestly ordination and qualification were fake.

It is now established that apart from St. Mary’s Shrine, Lodwaraja, the imposter also conducted mass at St. Augustine’s Cathedral and St. Thomas Parish.

Investigations into how he managed to infiltrate the diocese and preside over masses are still ongoing.