DNA Crusader Spotlight Uganda ~ Daniel Adyera
We had the pleasure of meeting Daniel Adyera at our DNA Symposium in Nairobi earlier this year, and were impressed by his passion for advocacy around forensic DNA technologies and policy in his home country, Uganda.
Daniel Adyera holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws in Forensics, Criminology and Law. He is an assistant lecturer of forensics, criminology and law at King Ceasor University, Kampala, and the director of the Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy, an independent think tank established to advance the use of forensic science in the administration of justice in Uganda. He has developed short courses in criminology and forensic investigations for lawyers, judges and law enforcement in Uganda to bridge the forensic knowledge and skills gap in the country.??
We had a conversation with Daniel about DNA policy in Uganda, the steps that have led him here, and his goals in this space:
Where are you from?
I am from Kampala, Uganda.?
What is the current situation in Uganda like in terms of DNA labs, databases and related policy??
There are several private DNA laboratories in Uganda, though the majority are used in civil matters like paternity testing. For criminal and humanitarian matters, public DNA laboratories owned and run by the government are used. Particularly, the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratory (DGAL) is home to the largest DNA laboratory in the country. Uganda does not yet have a DNA database or policy framework regulating the field. However, there is a proposed legislation (the Forensic Evidence and DNA Bill) that will see the creation and regulation of a DNA database in the country.???
How did you get into this field?
After graduating with a law degree from the University of London in 2014, I worked with Justice Defenders (formerly African Prisons Project) Nairobi Office as a Legal Tutor in Kamiti, Naivasha and Langa’ta Women Maximum Prison, teaching law to inmates and prison staff studying their law degree via distance learning from the University of London. Chief among the problems we faced was understanding forensic expert evidence: with limited knowledge in forensic science, it was next to impossible to challenge an expert witness evidence. I also realized that this was a perennial challenge for many lawyers in Africa. In 2016, I won a scholarship to study a Master in Laws (LL.M) degree in Forensics, Criminology and Law at Maastricht University, The Netherlands. In 2018, I returned to Uganda to help build and bridge the forensic-justice gap. This led to the birth of the Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice Policy (CCCJP) in 2020. The main objective of CCCJP is to promote the use of forensic science in the administration of criminal justice in Uganda, to which end I have designed some short curricula in Criminology and Forensic Investigations to help with professional development in this field.
What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
The most rewarding thing about my job is helping indigent persons and some lawyers with forensic legal guidance. I also enjoy teaching forensics and criminology to law students.?
What are your aims in Uganda in the next year or two?
First, I want to assist in anyway I can the drafting the Forensic Evidence and DNA Bill so that it is passed by Parliament. Secondly, I would like to work with other DNA Crusaders in Uganda to carry out research, encourage education and create mass awareness about the importance of DNA and other forensic disciplines in promoting justice and humanitarian work.?
Please follow this amazing DNA Crusader here @DanielAdyera and reach out to him if you're in Uganda to join forces! #stongertogether #justiceisinourDNA