Halima Shaban
5 August 2007
Kampala — BAGWERE test the paternity of the first three children in the home to ensure that the rightful heirs inherit the family property, says Timothy Mutaki, a mugwere from the Kyabawampewe clan in Budaka.
Though only considered as a custom in most cultures in Uganda for many centuries, rituals performed on newly-born babies served as paternity tests.
The multi-purpose machine, the first and only one in the country, was funded under the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) strategic plan and procured from Switzerland through a South African-based company, Applied Bio Systems, one of the licensed companies that supply DNA machines in Africa. It was installed in 2005 at a cost of $240,000 (sh450m).
Ally Lugudo, the commissioner of the laboratory, says in the past, the Government would spend over $500 (sh890,000) to send DNA samples to Kenya and South Africa for analysis, yet it could take months to get the results.
"If a couple has a problem in finding out who the right father of the child is, this can now be done here. You do not need to go to South Africa to prove paternity," says Lugudo.
Testing process
The experts carry out pre and post-counselling before and after releasing the results.
DNA is extracted from a few drops of blood, cheek cells or cultured cells.
Enzymes are used to cut the DNA sample into fragments, which are then placed into a gel matrix. An electric current drives the fragments across the gel.
The smallest fragments move the farthest, while the largest move the least distance.
The separated DNA fragments are transferred to a nylon membrane, which is exposed to a labelled DNA probe, a short piece of customised DNA that recognises and binds to a unique segment of the tested person's DNA.
This nylon membrane is placed against a film, which when developed, reveals black bands where the probes bound to the DNA.
The visible band pattern of the child is unique, half matches the mother and half matches the father. This process is repeated several times, with each probe identifying a different area in the DNA and producing a distinct pattern. Using several probes, greater than 99.9% certainty about parentage can be achieved.
If you doubt the results, Onen advises you to go to similar laboratories like those in South Africa.
He says one cannot alter the results of a test. Medication, drugs, alcohol, food, age or lifestyle cannot alter the DNA pattern within an individual and results are ready within two weeks.
A person who wishes to know the paternity of his/her child can access the facility at Wandegeya for DNA tests at $240 (sh439,000).
"We do not work on only government requests (court cases), but also for couples who come requesting for the test," Onen says.
"This involves testing the father, mother and child. Any additional child to be included in test will have to pay an extra $80 (sh148,000. For two samples (father and child), the cost goes up to $100 (sh165,000)," Lugudo says.
DNA test results are confidential and are released to only adult persons who were tested and, as may be requested, to their authorised agents (e.g. attorneys).
There is no age limit for DNA profiling. Newborns can be tested by collecting blood from the umbilical cord on the day of birth.
Simon Peter Alarakol, a senior laboratory technician at the GAL, says it is possible to perform DNA paternity testing by comparing DNA profiles from only the child and an alleged father when the mother is not available. However, it is strongly recommended that the mother be included in the testing.
Onen says lack of the facility in the country had contributed to a backlog of cases, but with the new technology, the Government analysts can get the results quickly with precision and certainty.
The machine accommodates 96 samples which makes it fast. Currently, the GAL receives about five paternity cases a day.
Lugudo says the laboratory has regional collection centres in Gulu, Arua, Mbarara, Mbale, and Fort Portal which obtain samples/exhibits, before transmitting them to departmental headquarters in Wandegeya.
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