Recently, social media platforms and various news sites have been awash with information and pictures of various children with DNA results, stirring debate in the public.
According to police, couples don’t hesitate to wash their dirty linen in public and drag their children with them.
Fred Enanga, the Uganda police spokesperson told journalists in a press briefing on Monday that pictures and videos from frustrated parents showing Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing often find their way to social media platforms following breakups. The police spokesperson has warned that such acts can be traumatizing to the children.
“We have witnessed clients whose results have come out negatively evoke strong emotions, with potential of altering their lives. The media hype and alarms over DNA results is too much and is affecting the privacy of children, whose welfare becomes uncertain, because the alleged father will no longer have a legal obligation to pay child support or any legal rights to child custody or visitation. We warn the public to stop recording children at the loss of a relationship because it is traumatizing to them, ” he says
Enanga has also called on families hoping onto the DNA testing trend for whatever reason, to seek services from certified facilities with trained genetic counselors as compared to using home DNA kits. He explains that the home testing may not be as accurate and the families could need counseling.
” They should identify DNA testing centers that are certified, because they have trained genetic counselors. Some of the home DNA kits can be subject to contamination and can lead to inaccurate test results. It’s important therefore, to have DNA testing performed at a reputable testing facility that is certified. They have strict standards for testing and accuracy.” he adds
Enanga has called on concerned parties to always opt for more relevant options post DNA testing like filing a complaint with police or seeking legal services should they suspect foul play.
“Where a parent, mother, has evidence that proves that a paternity test is not accurate or fraud, we advise them to file a complaint with Police or consult a lawyer. You can also request a second test, if you are concerned about falsified or inaccurate paternity test results.” he states
Recently, the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control –DCIC declined a request by 32 men to cancel passports for children following DNA tests conducted. DCIC had received at least 32 requests from irate men demanding the cancellation of their children’s passports after DNA tests they conducted on them returned negative.
According to the spokesperson at the Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson, Simon Peter Mundeyi, the men (names withheld) acquired passports for their children and mothers but shortly after this, DNA samples taken to prove paternity returned negative.
He says the men then wrote to immigration to have to alter paternal details in the children’s passports because they didn’t father the children.
However, Mundeyi explained that their request was not possible because the DCIC cannot cancel passports unless the complainants go to National Identification Registration Authority –NIRA and change their details.
Mudenyi stated that the DNA tests were inspired by social media stories of men raising children in their homes without knowledge they aren’t theirs.