By TV10 Editorial Desk
The Ugandan High Court Judge, Justice Lydia Mugambe, has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison by the Oxford Crown Court in the United Kingdom.
Our correspondent from UK reported to TV10 editorial desk that Justice Mugambe, who also serves as a United Nations criminal tribunal judge, was convicted of modern slavery by the same court in March 2025.
The court found her guilty of illegally transporting a young girl to the UK to work as her unpaid housemaid. At the time, Justice Mugambe was pursuing her PhD at Oxford University. The court ruled that she used her judicial status to facilitate the girl’s travel to Oxford for exploitation.
Jurors agreed that Mugambe conspired with John Leonard Mugerwa, the then Ugandan deputy high commissioner, to bring the young woman to the UK. Mugambe had fabricated an employment contract for the girl’s work visa, falsely stating that she would work for Mugerwa as a domestic worker.
However, upon arrival, the girl was forced to work as Mugambe’s housemaid without pay and was denied her identification documents, making it difficult for her to secure other employment.
The jury convicted Justice Mugambe on multiple charges, including conspiracy to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law, arranging or facilitating travel for exploitation, forcing a person into compulsory labor, and conspiring to intimidate a witness.
There have been media reports suggesting that Uganda and the UK are in talks for a potential prisoner exchange, which could see Justice Mugambe freed and deported.
