By Anderson Ojwang
Recently, a man interviewed by a local content creator claimed that he had conducted a DNA test on his 12-year-old daughter, and the results showed that she was not his biological daughter.
However, his wife and the mother of the daughter denied the results and maintained that the daughter was his biological child and that he had doctored the results.
The disappointed man agreed to facilitate a second DNA test at an institution of her choice.
With the results in his hands, the man left the marriage of 12 years. The child he had called his daughter, who had grown up calling him Dad and looking up to him as a mentor, protector and source of love, now had everything up in smoke.
And that is where Seme MP Dr James Nyikal, an elder, has introduced a Bill in Parliament that, when it comes into law, will end the pain of millions of children, fathers and Kenyans.
The National Assembly: The Child Identity and Family Integrity Bill, 2026.
“An Act of Parliament to provide for DNA verification of parentage at birth, to protect every child’s right to identity and family affiliation, to establish a national DNA registry, to regulate the collection, processing, storage, use and disclosure of genetic data, to provide for accredited DNA testing and quality assurance, to provide safeguards for mothers, children and parents, and for commercial purposes.”
What Is a DNA Test?
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the hereditary molecule that carries the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning and reproduction of humans and nearly all living organisms.
DNA tests often reveal hidden family secrets, unexpected ancestry and life-changing connections.
Non-Paternity Events (NPEs): Users discover that the man who raised them is not their biological father, sometimes uncovering hidden affairs, sperm donor lineages or adoption secrets. For example, a man named John found out that his biological father was a family friend after his parents passed away, upending his family history.
Switched at Birth: Rare cases, such as Alice Collins Plebuch, show how mail-in DNA kits revealed that a child had been sent home with the wrong family decades earlier.
Finding Birth Parents and Adoptions: Many adopted individuals use databases to track down biological mothers, fathers or long-lost siblings they never knew existed.
Corrected Ancestry Myths: People frequently discover that family lore about Native American, German or specific European roots is inaccurate, while uncovering unexpected ethnic backgrounds.
The Emotional Impact
The Positive Side: Many find closure, medical history and welcoming new relatives who complete a piece of their identity.
The Difficult Side: Uncovering secrets can cause severe emotional stress, broken relationships or hostile rejections from newly contacted relatives who prefer the past to stay buried. Experts recommend preparing for negative outcomes and seeking support or using intermediaries before reaching out to sudden matches.
The emotive topic is likely to draw a wide spectrum of reactions, with some supporting the Bill while others will view it as a witch hunt.
A university don, Prof. Z.G. Nyotumba, has welcomed the Bill, saying it will go a long way towards correcting injustices meted out by hospitals, which in some instances switch children, affecting family identity and treatment, among other things.
Nyotumba said that in some health institutions, unprofessional health officers had been conniving with some parents who wanted a specific sex for their child at birth and had ended up switching the children.
“This bill in entirely is good for the country and it is not meant to victimize anyone but to provide an authenticated data. Developed world have adopted the practice and what stop our country following the same path,” he said.
In a professional and development WhatsApp group, the Lake Land Development Wall, the topic was charged, with members taking different viewpoints.
Mr Cordiver Otienio wrote:
‘The aspect of DNA is a highly conflicting topic and very hard to achieve even through legislation.
Not every man is against raising a child not sired by him or marrying a lady with a child, but it is great when it is done willingly and the person should not do it while they are in the dark.
What perhaps hurt people is the fact that they are kept in the dark and that make them feel deceived…
In most cases, the mothers of such children will do something or have a behavior that ends up in separation or divorce then drag the man through hell in the name of Child support.
Let us not leave it the mothers of children to state who the father is, that is an important lead but it might not be factual….Even some of them do not really know who the fathers of their children are,’
Nairobi medic Dr Alfred Obengo wrote:
“This is like telling the cabinet to share all their phone call log/message details with the public. There will be no government,”
Mr Victor Kochogo wrote:
“truth for the first day, it’s going to end paternity fraud and many cases where men are raising children wo aren’t theirs, and also women being blamed unfairly. Your lineage, name and identity is clear from birth,”
