The Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises, COSASE, has questioned the National Identification and Registration Authority, NIRA, over the process of changing birth records after DNA tests disprove recorded paternity.

The concern was raised when NIRA officials, led by Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo, appeared before the committee chaired by Muwada Nkunyingi to respond to queries contained in the Auditor General’s 2024/25 report.

Legislators expressed concern over cases where men are named as fathers on birth certificates issued at hospitals, only to later discover through DNA tests that they are not the biological fathers of the children.

In response, NIRA Executive Director Rosemary Kisembo said the law allows parentage records to be changed upon presentation of DNA test results.

Citing Section 35 of the law, Kisembo said a person can present DNA results to NIRA to have inaccurate parentage information corrected in the register.

She added that the correction of parentage records is free of charge, although the DNA test must be conducted by an accredited laboratory.

Kisembo told the committee that NIRA recognizes DNA results from accredited laboratories, including MBN Clinical Laboratories, City Medicals and the Government Analytical Laboratory. The results are verified before any changes are made to the parentage records.

For DNA tests conducted outside Uganda, Kisembo said the results must first be certified by the Government Analytical Laboratory before they can be considered for correction of the records.

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