Lydia Mugambe Jailed in the UK for Modern Slavery Offenses

• Mugambe was found guilty of keeping a young Ugandan woman in domestic servitude
• Mugambe fraudulently secured a UK visa for the woman under the guise of paid domestic work
• Prosecutors in the case described her actions as a calculated misuse of power.

Ugandan High Court official and United Nations judge, Lydia Mugambe, has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison by a United Kingdom court for modern slavery offenses.

Eko Hot Blog reports that Mugambe was found guilty of keeping a young Ugandan woman in domestic servitude while pursuing a PhD at the University of Oxford.

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Following her conviction in March at Oxford Crown Court, Judge David Foxton delivered the sentence, strongly criticizing Mugambe’s lack of remorse and attempts to shift blame onto her victim.

The court heard how Mugambe fraudulently secured a UK visa for the woman under the guise of paid domestic work at the London residence of Uganda’s former deputy high commissioner, John Mugerwa.

Instead of being taken to the promised employment, the woman was brought to Mugambe’s home in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, where she was subjected to exploitation and unpaid labor as a maid and nanny.

Prosecutors in the case described her actions as a calculated misuse of power.

The court heard that Mugambe and Uganda’s former deputy high commissioner, John Mugerwa, made an arrangement in which Mugerwa sponsored the victim’s UK visa in exchange for Mugambe’s legal support in a separate court case in Uganda.

Although UK authorities approved charges against Mugerwa for his role in the conspiracy, he was shielded from prosecution due to diplomatic immunity, as the Ugandan government refused to waive it.

Body-worn police camera footage shown in court captured Mugambe attempting to resist arrest by invoking diplomatic status, telling officers: “I even have immunity.”

In a victim impact statement read in court by prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC, the woman described living in “almost constant fear,” citing Mugambe’s influence in Uganda as a source of intimidation. “I feared I might never see my mother again,” she said.

Haughey said Mugambe “exploited a clear and significant imbalance of power,” and misled the victim, who was unaware of her rights under UK employment laws.

Chief Superintendent Ben Clark of Thames Valley Police commended the victim’s bravery, stating: “There is no doubt that Mugambe knew she was committing offences.

“Modern slavery is often hidden and under-reported, and we hope this case encourages other victims to come forward.”

A spokesperson for the University of Oxford expressed deep concern over the case, confirming that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated, which could lead to Mugambe’s expulsion from the university.

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The conviction marks a significant case in the UK’s fight against modern slavery and human trafficking, particularly involving individuals in positions of significant authority and influence.

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