How Lancet ate Kemri’s lunch in girls’ DNA test
By BRIAN OKINDAThe much-awaited DNA test for Sharon Mathias and Melon Lutenyo — the twins who were reunited on Tuesday last week in Furfural Village, Kakamega — was finally conducted by pathologists at Lancet Kenya Friday.
The Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) which had initially promised to conduct the tests for free, withdrew at the last minute to “let the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) do its investigative work.”
Speaking after the process, Dr Elizabeth Wala, the founder and chair of Multiples to Multiples Society, an initiative that offers support and a platform of sharing with other families who have or are expecting multiples, said her organisation read about the families’ plight and sought to help them.
“We first tried to contact Kemri but it was complicated and so we approached Lancet,” said Dr Wala, adding that Lancet offered to do the tests at discounted rates. The results will be out in about one week.
Earlier, a Kemri official who sought anonymity said the girls were still undergoing therapy and counselling, adding that, since the matter was now in the hands of the DCI, Kemri would await further direction on the case.
The DCI had on Thursday asked the families involved in the case to file reports at its offices in Kakamega Town, to enable forensic investigations to establish if any criminal act was committed.