MBy Enyichukwu Enemanna
A British court has sentenced a Ugandan judge to six years and four months in prison for forcing a woman to work as a domestic slave.
Lydia Mugambe, 50, a High Court judge in Uganda, was found to have kept a young Ugandan woman at her home performing unpaid work as a maid and nanny.
At the time, Mugambe was pursuing a PhD in law at the University of Oxford.
She was jailed at Oxford Crown Court on Friday after being found guilty of modern slavery offences in March.
During sentencing, Judge David Foxton told Mugambe she had “shown absolutely no remorse” for her actions and had sought to “forcibly blame” the victim for what transpired.
Mugambe had fraudulently arranged a visa for the woman, falsely stating she would be employed as a private servant at the diplomatic residence of John Mugerwa, Uganda’s former deputy high commissioner at the country’s embassy in London.
Prosecutors said Mr Mugerwa sponsored the visa, knowing the victim would instead work in servitude for Mugambe.
In exchange, Mugambe was said to have offered assistance in a separate court case in Uganda in which Mugerwa was a defendant.
The court heard that Mugambe paid for the victim’s flight and collected her from the airport, after which the young woman was made to work as a slave at Mugambe’s home in Kidlington, Oxfordshire.
Judge Foxton described it as a “very sad case”, noting Mugambe’s legal achievements, including her work in the field of human rights.
In a written statement read out in court by prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC, the victim described living in “almost constant fear” due to Mugambe’s influential position in Uganda.
The woman, whose name was withheld for legal reasons, said she “can’t go back to Uganda” for fear of retribution, and added that she may never see her mother again.
Prosecutors said Mugambe had exploited the victim by taking advantage of her lack of knowledge about employment rights and misleading her about the reason for coming to the UK.
They described a “clear and significant imbalance of power” in the relationship between Mugambe and her victim.
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against Mr Mugerwa for conspiracy, but he could not be prosecuted due to diplomatic immunity, which the Ugandan government declined to waive.
Mugambe denied forcing the woman to carry out domestic work, insisting she had “always” treated her with love, care, and patience.
Chief Superintendent Ben Clark of Thames Valley Police said there was “no doubt” Mugambe knew she was committing a crime.
“Modern slavery is an under-reported offence, and I hope the bravery of the victim in this case encourages others to come forward,” he said.
A University of Oxford spokesperson said the institution was “appalled” by the crimes committed by its student.
“The university is now commencing its own disciplinary process, which has the power to expel students convicted of serious criminal offences,” the spokesperson added.
