DNA: Cultural leaders, communities  divided on handling affected children 

He said the child born this way would be “embraced” and were “believed to be part of the family and the clan in which they were born to by a married woman.” 

He also said the elders could tell if the children were theirs or not depending on the circumstances and the period when the pregnancy occurred.

But whenever a man was caught [cheating] with a married woman, Papa Edimu said, he could be charged a fine in the form of cows traditionally known as Eluk, which was not less than five cows as a reconciliation mechanism and cautioned against his actions.

Mr Jude Muleke, the Kabaka’s chief-in-charge of Buddu County, asked parents even after having DNA results, to conceal the information and avoid injuring the reputation of the innocent minors.

He also suggested a long-term solution of getting back to traditional norms of equipping girls with marriage values to erode the thinking of gaining riches from marriages, which forces them to engage in adultery. 
 
However, Mr Makenzi Thembo, a resident of Bundibugyo, advised couples who doubt their children to do DNA services as early as possible before investing a lot in that child. 

He also asked the government to lay out laws addressing possible compensation for those who after DNA tests reveal they are not the biological parents of the said children, because of the investment they incur in upbringing them.

 “If a man says he can no longer accommodate you after realising that the child does not belong to him, kindly accept to relocate to avoid escalation of issues that can even result in serious consequences,” Mr Thembo said.
But Mr Franklin Muhindo, another resident of Bundibugyo Town and a child rights activist, said all children deserve to be treated equally despite DNA testing results.

“Our forefathers brought up children harmoniously and that is why families were regarded as the first line of safety networks regardless of who produced who. The DNA syndrome has and will affect our families. We must, therefore, bring up all children inclusively as our own children,” Mr Muhindo said.

Mr Apollo Mabati, 70, an elder from Rushere, Kiruhura District in Ankole, also a presidential special assistant in-charge of veteran affairs, said siring children within same families and clans was not a problem in Ankole culture.

“For example, if a member of the family was impotent or had died, it could allow for another family member to share or take over your wife,” he said.

“The only big problem was when a member from a different family or clan got into a sexual affair with a member of a different clan. This was considered a curse and the culprit would be banished from the community. This helped to reduce cases of doubting children’s paternity,” Mr Mabati added.

Mr Richard Kitojo, 31, a father of three, and a resident of Mughende Village in Kisinga Town Council, Kasese District, said: “Since that child is already born in my family, I can keep quiet and just take care as a father, although it hurts, especially if you had too much hope in that child.”

Compiled by Al Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Antonio Kalyango, Longino Muhindo, Alex Ashaba, Moureen Biira, Jerome Kule Bistwande, George Muron, Rajab Mukombozi, Fred Wambede, Warom Okello & Tonny Abet