Ugandan High Court judge and former UN official Lydia Mugambe has been sentenced to six years in prison by Oxford Crown Court after being found guilty of modern-day slavery offences.
Mugambe, 50, was studying for a PhD in law at the University of Oxford when police discovered that she had illegally trafficked a young Ugandan woman and forced her into unpaid domestic work in her home in Kidlington, Oxfordshire.
The victim, who had worked as a maid in Uganda, was brought to the UK under false pretenses, allegedly promised work at the residence of Uganda’s former deputy high commissioner in London, John Mugerwa. Prosecutors told the court that Mugerwa knowingly sponsored the victim’s visa as part of a corrupt arrangement—allowing Mugambe to exploit her in return for legal assistance in Uganda.
Judge David Foxton said Mugambe showed no remorse and even attempted to blame the victim. The woman was isolated, unpaid, and fearful, saying in a court statement that she could not return to Uganda due to Mugambe’s influential position.
“This was a deliberate abuse of power and trust,” the judge noted.
The case has sparked intense online debate. Some social media users defended Mugambe, claiming the woman used the situation to seek asylum. Others were quick to condemn the judge’s actions as a disgrace to her profession and to Africa as a whole.
“She is an abomination and an embarrassment to all Africans,” one user wrote, while another argued, “Six years is too light a sentence.”
Authorities confirmed that three individuals, including Mugerwa, are under investigation as part of a broader inquiry into diplomatic visa abuse and trafficking.
Mugambe’s conviction marks a rare case of a high-ranking African judge being jailed abroad for human rights violations.
Written by Kelly Were
