By: Isaac Christopher Lubogo, a Ugandan lawyer and lecturer
PREAMBLE
Uganda has recently had two high-profile DNA sagas that have gripped Ugandan headlines—Professor Kateregga’s paternity bombshell and the posthumous revelations surrounding MP Muhammad Ssegirinya. These cases amplify why this discourse matters now more than ever.
INTRODUCTION: DNA’s Sudden Spotlight in Uganda’s Courtrooms and Consciences
In June 2025, Ugandans were rocked by two dramatic DNA revelations that tore through respected families, shocked the nation, and laid bare the fragile boundary between scientific fact and human consequence.
In one corner stands Professor Badru Kateregga, a towering academic figure and founder of Kampala University. After a bitter divorce spanning over a decade, a court-ordered DNA test revealed that the professor is the biological father of only his twin children—not the youngest of three. The emotional fallout was immediate: he publicly expressed devastation, his estranged wife dismissed the findings and demanded testing in a U.S. lab, and headlines screamed of betrayal, institutional downgrades, and family collapse .
In the other, came the shocking estate drama of late MP Muhammad Ssegirinya. Following his death in January 2025, up to nine children—and even multiple “widows”—emerged to stake their claim. But DNA tests revealed only four children were biologically his. The revelations plunged the inheritance battle into legal limbo and moral chaos, with widows demanding retesting and rumors of property grabs swirling .
These high-profile sagas are not merely gossip fodder. They illuminate why South Asians call DNA the “double-edged helix”: a scientific marvel that can heal or wound, depending on how we wield it. Professor Kateregga’s heartbreak and Ssegirinya’s legacy unraveling mid-burial are stark reminders that DNA tests produce biological truth, but unleash familial trauma, legal confusion, and public spectacle.
This discourse probes beyond headlines to ask: What does DNA actually do—where does it fail—and how should Ugandan society, law, and culture respond when certain scientific certainty collides with emotional fragility, legal ambiguity, and ethical responsibility?
Next, we will unpack DNA’s power and pitfalls, explore its global and Ugandan legal foundations, and trace the emotional and societal wreckage left in its wake.
🧬 DNA, Justice, and the Double-Edged Helix: Unveiling Truth, Trauma, and the Ugandan Legal Soul
By Isaac Christopher Lubogo
A Philosophical, Legal, and Sociocultural Discourse on the Certainty of Science and the Chaos of Consequence
I. INTRODUCTION: When Truth Becomes a Tormentor
In the quiet strands of DNA lies the loudest truth of our age. A molecule once confined to biological textbooks now reverberates through courtrooms, marriage beds, refugee tents, orphan homes, and radio call-in shows. Uganda, like much of the developing world, stands at a genetic crossroads—embracing DNA testing as a tool of justice and identity, while reeling from the emotional, social, and legal whirlwinds it leaves behind.
We no longer ask if DNA is accurate—it is. We ask whether we are ready for the brutal honesty it brings. Whether in paternity tests, criminal investigations, or refugee verification, DNA now cuts through human ambiguity with surgical certainty. But certainty is not always healing. DNA has become both a sword and a salve—a truth-teller and a destroyer.
This discourse journeys through what DNA can and cannot do, analyzes its power and limitations in criminal and civil contexts, unearths the ethical grey zones of its application in Uganda, and reflects on the unspoken chaos it unleashes in the human soul.
II. THE GOOD: DNA AS JUSTICE’S SILENT WITNESS
There is no denying DNA’s contributions to justice, science, and social clarity. In a country long burdened by rumor, hearsay, and biased testimony, DNA offers precision and impartiality.
Criminal Investigation and Exoneration
DNA has transformed the way Uganda investigates crimes. In cases of rape, murder, and robbery, DNA has been used to identify perpetrators and exonerate the innocent. The Uganda Police Force’s forensic lab, though under-resourced, has helped crack cold cases and build credible prosecutions. In the West, such as in South Africa and the United States, national DNA databases have been pivotal in convicting criminals and freeing the wrongly accused. Uganda aspires to emulate these models.
Paternity and Family Law
DNA testing has revolutionized family law. No longer must judges rely on family resemblance or verbal claims to determine paternity. With over 99.99% accuracy, DNA now settles inheritance disputes, child support, and custody battles. Ugandan courts, especially the Family Division of the High Court, have increasingly leaned on DNA to make rulings that would once have dragged on for years in cultural ambiguity.
In cases such as Turyahikayo v. Kabonesa, DNA was the defining element in resolving paternity, and its admission as conclusive evidence marked a turning point in family jurisprudence.
Immigration and Refugee Identity
DNA testing is also employed in refugee registration and immigration services to confirm familial ties and prevent fraud. In humanitarian contexts where paperwork is lost or falsified, DNA helps verify blood relations and protect against trafficking or identity theft.
III. THE BAD: LEGAL VACUUMS AND ETHICAL BLIND SPOTS
But for all its promise, DNA in Uganda exists in a precarious legal wilderness. It is a powerful tool—but one that currently operates without a leash.
Lack of Comprehensive Legislation
Uganda has no specific DNA Act. DNA testing is not governed by a dedicated statute that ensures consent, protects data privacy, regulates storage, or guides admissibility. This absence leaves a vacuum where private laboratories operate unchecked, and citizens remain vulnerable to unethical collection, sample tampering, and data misuse.
Despite Article 27 of Uganda’s Constitution guaranteeing the right to privacy, many DNA tests are conducted without informed consent. In some cases, samples are collected secretly or under coercion, violating constitutional protections.
Chain of Custody and Admissibility Concerns
In the absence of clear legal protocols, DNA samples often fail to meet evidentiary standards. Courts have dismissed such evidence where proper chain-of-custody procedures were not followed. For instance, in Uganda v. Ojok (2021), the court deemed the DNA results inadmissible due to violations in sample handling and the accused’s rights.
This undermines public trust in forensic science, turning what should be a gold standard into questionable testimony.
Commercialisation and Sensationalism
Private clinics now advertise “walk-in” DNA tests—targeting spouses, lovers, and in-laws with slogans like “Catch a Cheating Partner” or “Is He the Real Father?” At as low as UGX 400,000, anyone can uncover devastating secrets. Media outlets, particularly FM radio shows like Paternity Thursday, sensationalize DNA results, revealing family scandals live on air.
The scientific truth becomes a tool of humiliation, often leading to emotional ruin without recourse to support or justice.
IV. THE UGLY: FAMILIAL COLLAPSE, SOCIAL STIGMA, AND EMOTIONAL CHAOS
What DNA uncovers, society often cannot repair. The consequences of truth—especially unfiltered, unprepared truth—can be devastating.
Abandoned Children and Fractured Homes
A man receives a negative paternity result after raising a child for years. He walks out. The child, previously secure in love and identity, is now fatherless. The mother is shamed. The court absolves the man of legal responsibility—but who accounts for the psychological damage?
In numerous recent cases, men have withdrawn child support solely because of DNA results. No consideration is given to the child’s emotional wellbeing, nor to the years of parental bonding that preceded the revelation.
Mental Health Crises
For children who learn through DNA that their father or mother isn’t biological, the trauma is deep and lasting. Identity disorientation, depression, and suicidal ideation are not uncommon. Yet Uganda lacks a national framework for pre- and post-test psychological counseling. We hand people scientific bombs without emotional shields.
DNA may answer the question, “Whose child is this?” But it cannot answer, “What will this child become after knowing?”
Public Shame and Radio Courtrooms
The media has turned genetic discovery into tabloid theatre. Women are publicly ridiculed. Men are labeled fools. Children are collateral damage in public shaming matches disguised as entertainment. Our legal system stands silent while science is manipulated for ratings.
V. THE FIVE INTERSECTIONS OF TRUTH
DNA reveals truth—but truth, like light, can blind as well as illuminate. In Uganda’s DNA revolution, we must wrestle with five overlapping types of truth:
Biological Truth
It is cold, exact, and incontrovertible. DNA is the closest thing to divine arithmetic we have. It answers scientific questions with terrifying clarity. Yet this is only the beginning.
Legal Truth
Once DNA speaks, the law responds—often mechanically. Child support may be canceled. Inheritance revoked. A conviction secured. But legal justice is not always moral justice.
Moral Truth
Should a man abandon a child because science says so, even after years of fatherhood? Should a woman be disgraced for withholding the truth to protect her home? DNA doesn’t offer guidance here. It merely states facts. Morality must pick up the pieces.
> “To destroy a family with the truth is not nobler than to preserve it with silence—unless love guides the revelation.” – Lubogo Philosophy
Social Truth
Society is not a courtroom. It is messy, emotional, tribal, and brutal. The truth may bring clarity—but it also brings judgment, shame, and division in a culture unready for its weight.
Emotional Truth
DNA speaks in decimal points. But grief, loss, identity crises—these speak in screams, tears, and silence. The child who learns he is “not really his father’s son” doesn’t hear 99.99%. He hears: you are not wanted.
VI. WHAT DNA CANNOT DO
DNA can identify a person’s biological connections—but it cannot establish love, responsibility, or intent. It cannot distinguish consent from coercion in rape cases. It cannot decode memories or tell us why someone was at a scene.
It cannot restore broken relationships. It cannot predict how a truth will shatter or heal a family. And it cannot act as judge, jury, and therapist all in one.
DNA is not omniscient. It is not infallible. It is simply truthful—sometimes too truthful for the fragile soul of a nation still learning how to hold uncomfortable facts.
VII. THE WAY FORWARD: DNA WITH CONSCIENCE, LAW WITH COMPASSION
Uganda must rise to the challenge of integrating DNA into its legal, ethical, and cultural fabric with care and foresight.
1. Enact a Dedicated DNA Law
This law must regulate consent, sample collection, admissibility, storage, penalties for misuse, and public education. It must also embed the right to dignity and mental wellness.
2. Establish a National DNA Repository
A central, secure database with strict legal access and oversight to ensure data protection and forensic accuracy.
3. Mandate Counseling Before and After Tests
Especially for paternity and family tests, counseling must be mandatory. People should never receive life-altering truths without preparation.
4. Regulate Testing Facilities
Only accredited labs with ethical protocols should be allowed to conduct DNA testing. Rogue clinics must be shut down.
5. Launch Public Awareness Campaigns
Citizens must understand what DNA can and cannot do. Sensational media narratives must be challenged by informed voices rooted in science and empathy.
VIII. CONCLUSION: HUMANIZING TRUTH BEFORE WEAPONIZING IT
DNA is a marvel of science—but it is not a moral compass. It is not a therapist. It cannot carry the burdens it reveals.
> “Man was not built to carry the full weight of unfiltered truth. That is why we invented stories, rituals, laws—and sometimes, silence.” – Isaac Christopher Lubogo
In our thirst for scientific clarity, let us not forget human fragility. Let us not reduce love to molecules or parenthood to strands. Let us use DNA to build, not to destroy. To restore, not to humiliate. To seek truth, but only when we are prepared to carry it with compassion.
DNA may tell us what we are. But only justice and mercy can tell us who we ought to be.
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