What President Kagame said about the results of the DNA Test he took
In 2018, the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, surprised many when he revealed that he had once taken a DNA test, purely out of curiosity.
President Kagame disclosed this during an exclusive interview with Jeune Afrique on May 30, 2018, where he responded to a range of questions, including whether he had ever undergone a DNA test.
DNA tests are conducted by specialized medical experts using advanced and reliable technology to reveal biological relationships between people and to help identify criminals through forensic sample analysis, often based on blood or other biological evidence.
Answering the Jeune Afrique journalist, President Kagame said:
“It should have remained a secret, but I will answer you. Yes, I did it, but I did it out of curiosity.”
When the journalist asked him what the results revealed, President Kagame continued:
“I discovered that I am made up of a mixture of many people—Africans, Europeans, Asians, Hutu, Tutsi, and many others. If someone wants to be racist or discriminatory, DNA does not discriminate.
I am a human being who sees others also as human beings; I do not care about beliefs surrounding how one was created.”
During the same interview, President Kagame was also asked about the visit to Kigali by Moïse Katumbi, an opposition figure in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who had come to attend the Ibrahim Governance Weekend.
He responded that the matter concerned Congo, adding that the agreement to host the event included a provision that Mo Ibrahim could invite whomever he wished.
Rwanda is also preparing to begin offering DNA testing services locally, which will help determine biological relationships and identify criminals through scientific examination of evidence. These services are expected to begin next year.
At the Rwanda National Police Hospital in Kacyiru, a facility for the newly established Rwanda Forensic Laboratory has already been completed. This institution is also expected to become operational next year.