Oxford Crown Court is today expected to sentence Ugandan High Court Judge Lydia Mugambe, following her conviction on several modern slavery and immigration-related offences.
Justice Mugambe, 49, was found guilty on March 13 of conspiring to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law, arranging travel for exploitation, requiring a person to perform forced labour, and conspiring to intimidate a witness.
The offences stem from her abuse of a young Ugandan woman whom she brought to the UK under false pretences while pursuing doctoral studies at Oxford University.
The court heard that Mugambe, who was then residing in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, worked with then-Ugandan Deputy High Commissioner John Leonard Mugerwa to sponsor the victim’s visa, falsely presenting that she would work at the diplomatic mission.
Instead, the woman was taken directly to Mugambe’s home and forced into unpaid labour as a domestic maid and nanny.
The young woman, described in court as vulnerable and unaware of her rights, was held in exploitative conditions and denied access to communication or pay.
After a year of servitude, she contacted a friend using a borrowed phone, prompting an investigation by Thames Valley Police.
During the trial, prosecutors described a calculated conspiracy in which Mugambe used her legal influence and Mr Mugerwa’s diplomatic privileges to facilitate modern slavery.
Communications between the two indicated that Mugerwa arranged the victim’s visa in exchange for Mugambe’s help in a legal case he was facing in Uganda.
Although the UK police investigated Mugerwa, he could not be prosecuted because of diplomatic immunity, which the Ugandan government declined to waive.
He returned to Uganda last year, publicly citing the end of his posting, although insiders indicated he had been recalled due to the scandal.
Mugerwa later admitted involvement in the visa sponsorship but claimed the victim had only turned against them in an attempt to secure asylum in the UK.
Meanwhile, Mugambe initially attempted to shield herself from prosecution by claiming diplomatic immunity, first as a Ugandan judge and later as a United Nations tribunal member.
The United Nations, however, waived any such immunity, allowing British authorities to proceed with her prosecution.
During the trial, the jury heard that Mugambe’s intent was to “obtain someone to make her life easier at the least possible cost to herself.”
She denied the charges and maintained that she treated the young woman with love, care and patience, but the jury was unconvinced.
The court’s findings triggered widespread debate in Uganda, not only over Mugambe’s personal conduct but also the role of Ugandan officials in shielding or enabling the abuse.
The case also revived attention to last month’s statement by Justice Minister Norbert Mao, who told Parliament that Uganda had entered a prisoner exchange agreement with the United Kingdom.
MPs referenced Mugambe as a possible candidate for such a swap, suggesting that Kampala may seek her return despite her conviction abroad.
If sentenced to custodial time, Mugambe could face a long prison term under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act, which provides for up to life imprisonment in cases involving human trafficking or forced labour.