Uganda’s Ministry of Health (MoH) has cleared another government laboratory to conduct DNA tests as the number of men seeking paternity tests continues to increase.
The government laboratory will become the third to be allowed to carry out DNA testing. Uganda Police Force (UPF) spokesperson Fred Enanga has on Monday, July 24, 2023, confirmed that the Police Forensic Laboratory has been cleared to conduct DNA tests.
Over the years, the Police Laboratory has been carrying out DNA testing for forensic purposes as a way of helping in investigating crimes.
When the Ministry of Health recently announced the laboratories cleared to conduct DNA tests, it left out the one run by UPF.
Enanga announced that now it is a gazetted facility for DNA testing, the police lab will continue to offer forensic DNA testing services in line with its mandate of criminal investigations so as to capture evidence from crime scenes and connect key suspects to criminal activities if they indeed committed crimes.
“We wish to inform the public that the Ministry of Health, has cleared the Uganda Police Forensic Laboratory, at Naguru, Police Headquarters, to continue providing Forensic DNA testing services as per its mandate. The Forensic Laboratory has now been added to the database of gazetted or certified facilities for DNA testing relationship,” said Enanga.
“The clearance of the Forensic DNA Lab, is a big and important step, in significantly enhancing the investigative capabilities of the police, and also play a pivotal role in crime solving, disaster victim identification, and counter terrorism efforts. By comparison, DNA is scientifically accurate and more difficult to dispute, than eyewitnesses accounts. It has further helped remove the major setbacks, in obtaining the much needed justice for victims in crime, by corroborating witness and survivor statements.”
Enanga added: “Our DNA and Forensic Testing Service has a laboratory, that is equipped with the state-of-the art technology and facilities to perform a broad range of forensic DNA testing services, for evidential material, in support of investigations by police. The tests include; dead body identification, DNA paternity, maternity. Sibling and kinship testing in criminal investigations, immigration DNA testing, cell line authentication and DNA profile.
The Forensic Laboratory, will also work with Medical Officers, from the Ministry of Health, who handle evidential material for DNA analysis, in ensuring that the identification, collection, packaging, storage and transportation of the evidential material, attains the acceptable international standards.”
After reports of fake DNA tests destroying families, the Health Ministry announced that only two laboratories are allowed to offer DNA testing services. (See Details Here and There).
There have been reports of rich men being left in shock and tears after DNA test results. A city tycoon was recently left crying like a baby after DNA tests revealed that 11 of the children he called were not his biological ones. Another wealthy Ugandan man working in Europe was left in tears after DNA results from Uganda, South Africa and Canada confirmed that he was not the biological father of all ‘his’ six children. (See Details Here, There and Over There).
But a vocal Ugandan Catholic priest has left many in shock after telling men who are rushing for DNA tests to marry machines if they cannot trust their wives. (Read Story Here).
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