Minister Sounds Alarm as DNA Bombshells Shake Families: ‘Zip Up,’ Balaam Tells Young Men
By Skika Reporter
A storm of shocking DNA revelations is sending tremors through Ugandan families, prompting Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara to issue a blunt warning to young men: “Zip up!”
Speaking at the Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday, Barugahara painted a disturbing picture of a growing paternity crisis, claiming that hundreds of DNA tests have exposed painful family secrets and left many men devastated after discovering they were raising children who were not biologically theirs.
“I am appealing to young people to zip up. Young men should stop having uncontrolled sex with any women they find,” the minister declared.
His remarks came as he addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding the estate of the late Kadongo Kamu icon Paul Job Kafeero, where DNA testing has become the centrepiece of a bitter inheritance battle.
Shocking DNA Statistics
Barugahara revealed that during his time as State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, he oversaw 250 DNA paternity tests, with an astonishing 238 returning negative results.
According to the minister, many of the affected men had spent years providing for children they believed were their own, only for scientific evidence to shatter those assumptions.
“The men were not the fathers of the babies. But these men were struggling and being harassed every day to raise the children,” he said.
The figures are likely to fuel an already heated national debate over trust, marriage, inheritance, and the emotional toll that disputed parentage can have on families.
Kafeero Estate Drama Takes Another Twist
The sensational DNA findings have also transformed the long-running dispute over the estate of legendary singer Paul Job Kafeero into one of Uganda’s most talked-about inheritance battles.
Barugahara disclosed that 25 people claiming to be Kafeero’s children underwent DNA testing, but only four were confirmed to be biologically related to the late musician, who died in 2007 at the age of 36.
In one of the most dramatic revelations, the minister said a young man who bore a striking resemblance to Kafeero and had publicly maintained he was the singer’s son was ruled out by DNA analysis.
Government Steps In
Despite the heartbreaking results, Barugahara said government officials have sought ways to support those whose claims were rejected.
He revealed that he tasked the District Community Development Officer to assess how the affected individuals could be assisted. Some have already received financial support, while further discussions are planned on helping them establish businesses or even build homes.
The minister also disclosed that he had engaged Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba to explore additional assistance for those affected.
Only Two Labs Cleared for DNA Tests
With public demand for paternity testing surging, Barugahara warned against unregulated testing services.
He said the government has limited authorised paternity testing to only two accredited institutions—the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratory (DGAL) and MBN Clinical Laboratories—to protect the public from unreliable operators.
Home-based and rapid DNA testing kits, he added, are not authorised, while the Uganda Police Force forensic laboratory continues to support criminal investigations involving DNA evidence.
Legal Questions Loom
The explosion in paternity disputes is now raising complex legal questions.
Lawyers are increasingly debating whether men who discover they are not the biological fathers of children they have raised should be entitled to seek compensation through the courts in cases involving false paternity.
As DNA technology uncovers more hidden truths, Uganda finds itself grappling with difficult questions about fatherhood, responsibility, inheritance, and the lasting consequences of secrets kept for years.
