Kiboga Woman MP Christine Nakimwero Kaaya who doubles as the shadow minister for environment has said that the opposition in parliament is planning to table a private members’ Bill on the floor to regulate the DNA testing and how information about the results is churned out.
Ms Nakimwero made the remarks while appearing on the News 24/7’s View Point program aired on Saturday which was hosted by senior journalist Derrick Wandera.
“Any time from now, I foresee a private members bill and we need to prepare our people. We need to regulate it and for us in parliament we are going to lead the regulation,” Ms Nakimwero said.
Since last month, the media has been a wash of stories of how most Ugandans specially men have become more inquisitive and have been flocking the Directorate of government analytical laboratory (DGAL) to ensure that they carry out paternity tests.
On June 26 for example, a report issued by Simon Peter Mundeyi, the spokesperson ministry of internal affairs indicated how 32 men had petitioned immigration to cancel passports of their alleged children after the DNA test.
Speaking during the same program, Evelyn Connie Kharono, a Counseling Psychologist from Makerere University acknowledged the beauty of having a DNA carried out especially for those yearning to have a sense of belonging given that its done right way.
For Kharono however, paternity tests could come with a lot more than knowing your real parents but rather the implications that may arouse if the child has tested negative of them re known father.
The issues of mental health illnesses including depression, low esteem and the lack of sense of belonging but also to the extreme suicidal thoughts or even deaths could come handy if not handled well.
“Identity crisis is real, we all want to belong so let’s solve these things before they go out of hand and we are not saying that government should be put at task of making every health center do DNA testing, that’s expensive but the regulation more so the confidentiality,” Kharono said.
She added, “DNA is a family issue why publicize, how will people handle the stress, lets protect the child and the mental health because at the end of the day are we really getting it right yet we are inciting violence.”
She noted however that the issues of delayed communication among the couples was also a burning factor for most of these cases as men tend to exclude themselves in conversation especially where they have failed to give birth and usually for the sake of their marriage’s women opt for dubious options outside their marriages
Kharono thus advised that women should exploit all methods including seeking counseling to break the information than waiting for the young persons to make a teenager, because teenagers couldn’t handle such emotion distress.
The conversation however according to Richard Matua, a political analyst also among the panelists noted it should go beyond the counselors but also involve other leaders including the community, policy makers and religious who must also indulge the public before the issue erupts into a total breakage of the families since people will not stop going for DNA
Ms Culton Scovia Nakamya adds that the media which plays a bigger role needed to be extra careful when reporting such a sensitive issue
Ms Nakamya said that stories about DNA must serve in the best interest of the child, aim at calling upon regulators to urgently handle the crisis but most importantly avoid the blame game in the most scientific and morally upright way to avoid breaking families and stigma
