A Ugandan High Court judge convicted in the United Kingdom on charges of exploitation and forced labor is set to be sentenced today, as the Ugandan government moves to legally allow convicted citizens in Commonwealth countries to serve their sentences at home a shift many see as tailored to her high-profile case.
Justice Lydia Mugambe, 49, was found guilty in March by the Oxford Crown Court of coercing a young Ugandan woman into domestic servitude while the judge pursued a doctoral degree at the University of Oxford. The jury heard that Mugambe used her authority to restrict the victim’s freedom, denying her paid work and forcing her to act as an unpaid maid and nanny.
“She deceived the victim about the purpose of her coming to the UK and took advantage of her lack of knowledge regarding her rights,” said prosecutor Caroline Haughey KC during trial. Mugambe was also convicted of conspiracy to facilitate illegal immigration, forced labor, and witness intimidation.
Just weeks after the verdict, Uganda’s Justice Minister Norbert Mao signed an amendment to the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Act on April 4. It was officially gazetted on April 15. The amendment allows for Ugandan nationals convicted in any Commonwealth country to apply to serve their sentences in Ugandan prisons a provision that did not previously exist for all Commonwealth jurisdictions.
Though officials have not named Mugambe directly in connection with the legal change, senior government sources speaking anonymously to local press confirmed the timing was “not coincidental.”
Mugambe, who was appointed to the United Nations’ judicial roster in 2023, has denied any wrongdoing, claiming she treated the victim “with love, care, and patience.” However, the court was also presented with evidence of a coordinated scheme involving Uganda’s Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, John Leonard Mugerwa. Prosecutors alleged that Mugerwa helped secure the victim’s visa in exchange for legal favors back home — claims Mugerwa has not publicly addressed.
Human rights groups have expressed concern about the precedent this legal amendment could set.
“If this is how Uganda plans to handle justice for its elite by bringing them back home it raises serious questions about accountability and fairness,” said Fiona Adoch, a Kampala-based legal analyst.
As Judge Mugambe awaits sentencing, all eyes are on whether she will petition to be repatriated, and whether Uganda’s prisons and public will receive her with the seriousness the crimes demand.
