Ex-Ugandan UK Envoy Cited in Judge Mugambe's Slavery Trial

According to court proceedings, High Court judge Lydia Mugambe used then deputy high commissioner to UK John Leonard Mugerwa’s London address along with a fabricated employment contract to obtain a work visa for the young woman.

Ambassador John Leonard Mugerwa finds himself at the centre of the modern slavery trial involving Lady Justice Lydia Mugambe, which is currently ongoing at the Oxford Crown Court in the United Kingdom.

The Ugandan High Court judge, Mugambe, faces accusations of abusing her judicial position to facilitate the travel of a young Ugandan girl to Oxford under the pretense of a domestic servant role for Ambassador Mugerwa, who was the Ugandan deputy high commissioner to the UK at the time.

According to court proceedings, Mugambe used Mugerwa’s London address along with a fabricated employment contract to obtain a work visa for the young woman.

However, rather than working for the ambassador, the girl was allegedly forced to work unpaid at Mugambe's childminder at her residence in Lyne Road, Kidlington, Oxford.

The judge is also accused of withholding the maid's identification documents, further deepening the gravity of the allegations.

The 49-year-old judge, who was pursuing a PhD in law at Oxford University when the alleged incident occurred, denies all four charges brought against her.

During the trial, Mugambe told the jury that the maid was meant to work for Ambassador Mugerwa, but insisted that the responsibility for the arrangement lay with the maid herself and the ambassador.

"The responsibility was on her and the ambassador. They were to be in direct contact. It was her responsibility to get to the ambassador," she explained, as quoted by the Oxford Mail.

The involvement of Ambassador Mugerwa is likely to raise alarm among officials at Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who previously denied any link between the envoy and the slavery charges.

In late August, Mugerwa returned quietly to Uganda after reports surfaced suggesting his stay in the UK had ended abruptly amid the growing allegations.

At the time, Mugerwa denied any wrongdoing and threatened legal action if his name appeared in connection with the scandal.

"These allegations against me are made up," he stated.

However, it was later revealed that Judge Mugambe had been arrested and charged with conspiracy to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law, in connection with the case.

Ambassador Mugerwa had previously stated that the maid did not want to return to Uganda and had used the slavery claims in an attempt to secure asylum in the UK.

Sources indicate that with diplomatic privileges, envoys are able to help domestic workers obtain work visas, though such cases are often scrutinised in the context of potential exploitation.

Ms Mugambe, visibly distressed, denied all charges, including forcing the girl to work, conspiring to facilitate exploitation, and intimidating a witness.

"I'm sorry but it's too much," she said tearfully. "You can't just take lies, we worked for our careers."

Prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC accused the judge of lying during her testimony, stating, "They're not flexible facts, they're deliberate untruths."

The prosecution further rejected the explanation that Mugambe had been shielding others, claiming the real intent was to shield herself.

The trial, which is expected to conclude in the next two weeks, has placed significant pressure on both the Ugandan judicial and diplomatic sectors.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through Permanent Secretary Vincent Bagiire, has yet to comment on the involvement of Ambassador Mugerwa in the case.