What People are saying about the DNA Saga in Uganda? My View on the Matter.
I used to and still watch the Maury show scenes where DNA tests are done and either party is filled with anguish as he reads the result. Some parties are happy while others are broken …in this particular incident, I will refer to his latest show where Maury conducted a DNA of Lamar and a two-month-old baby boy (an Angel as I will refer)...
Maury…….Does that child look like you?
Lamar……No, Maury! He does not look like me, my child has a perfectly round head Lamar don’t — This kid has a flat head! This is not my son.
Lamar’s voice sounded like thunder and his face was red as his veins protrude his neck.
Maury with an urge to solve the problem, conducted a DNA test on this two-month-old Shyanne’s baby. He read the result and it was negative.
Shyanne wailed at the announcement as Lamar angrily yelled at her to go look for the father of the baby..” I told you, go find your baby's father..!”
Oooh, imagine how torn Shyanne was, how will she locate the father of her two-month-old baby?
As I said, it’s my opinion and I believe Shyanne deep inside her knows who fathered her son but this is a medical process, let us dive into what people in my Country Uganda are saying about the DNA saga that I thought was happening only in the Western World, then social media gossips to now a National matter that is being discussed in the floor of Parliament.
Charles Rwomushana, African Conscious Liberation Fighter Statement:
In our traditional setting, if you suspected that your wife’s pregnancy wasn’t yours, you would hit the baby’s head with the father’s penis and the results would be instant. Death of the child. To save the baby mother confesses to the actual father. The matter would be quietly resolved.
DNA testing is a luxury for the wealthy. In our upbringing, a simple tradition of placing saliva in the hand and observing where it falls when hit determines where you belong.
Alfred Ongwen’s Statement:
Wait…..it should be normal. When someone counts money and hands it over to you, and you prove count it, should it make you Guilty?
Besides, isn’t obvious that we live in a world of suspicion? Today, many women want to go through the cell phones of their husbands and Vise versa.
Being sure has never been a crime, and it should be understandably so even in this situation.
Well, what’s wrong with a woman going for DNA to make sure the husband is sure? Unless she’s hiding something. In this case, since women are carriers and it’s possible they can carry it for anyone, my view would be that it’s in their interest to conform to their baby daddies and indeed make them confident, which in turn rather makes them confident for the fact that their spouse is confident about siring their baby.
MP Faith Loru Nakut (Napak)’s Statement:
Can we add DNA tests to [a] restricted list so that it is only done on a court order or to solve a problem? We want to save the mental health of our children and men committing suicide. It is not adding value to the economy. There are people now in Uganda who are faking results in order to malign women, spoil their names and reject the children they are supposed to care for.
In Uganda, DNA has become a national debate that has involved a discussion on the floor of Parliament and before I share with you my own view on the exciting yet destroying family DNA saga, let’s under what it is.
According to Medline Plus Genetic, DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA.
I further conducted more research to understand DNA in a layman’s language…DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, which is a molecule that carries the genetic instructions necessary for all living organisms. It is considered the blueprint of life as it contains the instructions for the development, functioning, and reproduction of living organisms.
Human DNA consists of about 3 billion bases, and more than 99 percent of those bases are the same in all people. The order, or sequence, of these bases, determines the information available for building and maintaining an organism, similar to the way in which letters of the alphabet appear in a certain order to form words and sentences.
What are bases in DNA?
Bases are molecules called nucleotides, on opposite strands of the DNA double helix, form chemical bonds with one another. These chemical bonds act like rungs in a ladder and help hold the two strands of DNA together. Human DNA has four bases which are grouped into pairs and these which you need to know are Adenine(A), Guanine(G), Cytosine(C), and Thymine(T).
After understanding what DNA is, it is important to know the good and bad of the acid for humanity apparently most men in Uganda who have done these tests on the alleged children and the results turned negative have gone into depression which might later lead to suicide, domestic violence, and broken families.
The importance of DNA lies in its role in determining an organism’s traits and characteristics. It carries the hereditary information that is passed from one generation to the next. DNA controls the synthesis of proteins, which are essential for the structure and function of cells. It is involved in every aspect of an organism’s development, growth, and overall functioning.
The challenges that may arise after DNA has been conducted can relate to various aspects. Some of these challenges include:
1. Privacy Concerns: With advancements in DNA analysis techniques and the growing popularity of direct-to-consumer genetic testing, there are concerns about the privacy and security of individuals’ genetic information. Safeguarding DNA data and preventing unauthorized access and misuse is a significant challenge.
2. Ethical Issues: The knowledge derived from DNA analysis raises a range of ethical questions related to genetic testing, gene editing, cloning, and genetically modified organisms. These challenges involve balancing the potential benefits of genetic advancements with potential risks and consequences.
3. Interpretation and Variability: Interpreting and understanding the vast amount of genetic information contained in DNA can be challenging. The significance of specific genetic variations or mutations can vary depending on the context and individual or population characteristics. Variability in genetic data among different populations also poses challenges in understanding and comparing genetic profiles.
4. Genetic Discrimination: As DNA analysis becomes more prevalent, concerns about genetic discrimination also increase. Discrimination based on an individual’s genetic information can impact access to healthcare, insurance, employment, and other opportunities. Protecting individuals from such discrimination is an ongoing challenge.
5. Technological Limitations: Despite significant advancements, DNA analysis techniques still have limitations. Some challenges include incomplete or inaccurate genetic sequencing, difficulty in analyzing certain genes or regions, and limitations in understanding the functional significance of all genetic variations. Technological advancements are needed to address these limitations and improve the accuracy and efficiency of DNA analysis.
Overall, while DNA analysis has revolutionized various fields such as forensics, healthcare, and research, it also brings along a set of challenges that require ethical, legal, and policy considerations to ensure the responsible use and protection of genetic information otherwise, some men will use it to run away from their own responsibilities by going ahead to pay doctors to fake DNA results.