Olive Nigesa
Lydia Mugambe, a 50-year-old Ugandan High Court judge and now former United Nations tribunal member, has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison for enslaving a young Ugandan woman under the guise of employment.
Mugambe was found guilty of conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law, facilitating travel with a view to exploitation, forcing someone to work, and conspiracy to intimidate a witness after a trial at Oxford Crown Court.
According to the court, Mugambe lured the victim, referred to as “Rona,” to the UK with promises of legitimate work while pursuing a PhD in law at the University of Oxford. Upon arrival, Rona was subjected to unpaid labor and childcare duties, her passport confiscated, and her movements restricted.
The court heard that Mugambe exploited her legal expertise and status to manipulate and intimidate the victim, including attempts to coerce her into withdrawing her testimony. Prosecutors revealed that Mugambe conspired with John Leonard Mugerwa, Uganda’s former deputy high commissioner in London, to facilitate Rona’s travel under false pretenses.
In court, Mugambe attempted to claim diplomatic immunity, citing her positions as a Ugandan judge and UN official. However, the United Nations waived any immunity, allowing the case to proceed. The court emphasized Mugambe’s lack of remorse and her attempts to blame the victim, highlighting the severity of her actions given her background in human rights law.
The victim described feeling “lonely” and “stuck,” living in fear due to Mugambe’s influence in Uganda. The case has drawn significant attention, underscoring the hidden issue of modern slavery and exploitation by individuals in positions of power.
The Ugandan government has acknowledged the conviction, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirming legal counsel was provided to Mugambe and that an appeal is under consideration. The Judiciary of Uganda has yet to issue a public statement regarding the matter.
At the time of her conviction, Mugambe was pursuing a doctorate in law at the University of Oxford. She holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
She served as a senior magistrate in the Ugandan judiciary from 2000 to 2005, Worked at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda from 2005 to 2013 before her appointment as a judge of the High Court of Uganda in 2013, serving until 2020.
She is a Judge of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals a position she ascended to ij May 2023.
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