The Ugandan government has advised men in Kenya’s western neighbour not to undergo DNA paternity testing, claiming that it is harmful to the country’s well-being.
Margaret Muhanga, the country’s minister for Primary Health Care, says it doesn’t matter whether men raising children are their biological fathers, and that paternity tests are just a recipe for chaos.
“It is not really important. If you have raised your child, that is your child. Biology doesn’t matter. No one is looking for him after all. So, stay with your child in order to keep harmony,” Muhanga was quoted by the Daily Monitor newspaper as having said on Tuesday.
“If you hear people killing each other because of DNA, why are you even going for it? Anything that you don’t know can’t kill you. If you don’t know that that is not your child, it won’t break your heart. But when you find out, your heart will be broken,” she added.
Uganda has reported cases of family violence as a result of DNA paternity test results, some of which have resulted in death.
Just last week, an Israeli national allegedly murdered his Ugandan wife and buried her body in a septic tank after DNA results from their 6-month-old son came back negative.
