Paternity test for Uganda dey cause plenty tok as some pipo dey avoid am

Wit reports wey tok say men for Uganda wey dey seek paternity tests don increase, fears fear dey grow say dis kain tin fit break up families and also affect di pikin psychologically.

Di issue na hot topic of debate for di kontri since one newspaper publish one tori wey claim say one well-known business tycoon - wey get plenty wives and mistresses - get kwanta wit one of im wife and dis one ginger am to request for paternity tests wey reportedly show say no be im be di biological papa of only 15 of im 25 pikin dem.

Di tycoon and im family neva comment publicly and di tori neva dey independently verified.

But di tori spread like wildfire and has caused huge tok-tok ova di last few months wey make lawmakers to make emotional appeal to men say make dem stop to dey put dia families and pikin through trauma of tests.

"Make we live like how our forefathers live. Di pikin wey dem born for di house na your pikin," Minister of Mineral Development Sarah Opendi tok for parliament.

Although she qualify her statement as she add say if man want paternity test make im do am wen dem born di pikin - no be wen di pikin grow up.

Wetin dey worrying pass be say di privately owned Monitor newspaper report say testing don cause domestic violence and police arrest one Israeli national wey dey live for Uganda sake of alleged killing of im wife afta DNA results show say no be im be di fada of dia six-month-old pikin. Dem neva charge di man yet.

Wen im tok for mid-July, Ministry of Internal Affairs tok-tok pesin Simon Mundeyi tok say 10-fold increase don dey for test requests , wey require taking di DNA of di father and pikin.

"Na average of 10 applicants daily we dey get for our goment analytical lab before. We don dey average 100 daily and di numbers still dey increase," e add.

Private clinics also cash in on di trend, as dem dey put up advertisements on di back of taxis and on billboards to offer tests.

Dis one raise concern say results fit turn out to dey wrong, especially afta reports come out say dem don smuggle suspected fake testing kits into Ugranda.

Di Ministry of Health bin step in to reduce testing to just three state-run laboratories - though di director of public health, Daniel Kyabayinze, tok say more social media hype don increase di testing.

Nevertheless, steps dey go on to ensure say families receive counselling and psychological support wen dem do tests.

"We don see social media messages wia pipo tink paternity tests dey disruptive to families and fit cause gender-based violence. We wan make sure say e no happun sake of di result wey dey given," Dr Kyabayinze tell di BBC.

Public opinion no be di same for di debate wey dey spread across Uganda - from bars to Parliament; taxis to Twitter, wey don become X.

Kampala resident Bwette Brian wey express im support for tests tell di BBC: "I tink di man get di right to know weda di pikin na im own or not. Pikin na responsibilities and evri pikin gatz know di family wey dem dey attached to."

Anoda resident, Tracy Nakubulwa no gree and tok: "I don see happy marriages and families separate sake of di issue of paternity testing - and pikin dey become victims."

Human rights activist Lindsey Kukunda tok say di fact say wives sometimes secretly get relationship wit anoda man to give her husband pikin "no dey new".

"Our ancestors do am, our grandparents do am, our mothers do am," she tok.

She point out say wen couples find am difficult to get pikin, na di man dey often get fertility problems, whereas "for African culture, if woman no fit provide man wit pikin, dem go divorce am or throw am out of di house".

"So wetin dis men no realise na say di woman wey don provide dem wit pikin don sleep wit anoda man - to give you di pikin wey you desire."

Ms Kukunda accuse husbands wey dey seek paternity test of double-standards.

"E dey common for men to get affairs and bring pikin come house - but di wives raise dis pikin as dia own," she tok.

Microbiologist Freddie Bwanga tok say di state laboratory wia im dey work neva see major increase in requests for testing, but greater awareness don dey exist around di issue.

Im experience ova di years show say 60-70% of tests prove biological link between di papa and pikin.

As for di 30% to 40% wey find dem no be di fada, di outcome dey often dey beneficial in "helping pikin to dey settled for wia dem born dem".

And, some go argue say testing better pass to rely on age-old cultural practices - like smearing cow fat on di umbilical cord and put am inside basket wey dem weave and filled wit water.

If e come float - one cultural researcher point out to Uganda Monitor newspaper - e mean say di pikin belong to di family.

But Uganda state minister for primary health care tok say e no dey needed for men to seek paternity tests.

"Anytin wey you no know no fit kill you. If you no know say dis no be your pikin, e no go break your heart. But wen you find out, your heart go dey broken," Margaret Muhanga tok.