By Our Writers
KAMPALA/ LONDON
While Kenyan government is seemingly losing a fight to save it’s national Margaret Nduta 37, who is set for execution in Vietnam over drugs, it’s neighbor Uganda is also trying to save it’s judge from long imprisonment.
The United Nations judge Lydia Mugambe has been convicted of forcing a young woman to work as a slave.
Unlike in most African countries , Uganda and Kenya inclusive what may look small cases are glorified in the first world and Mugambe’s UK case is very serious under their judiciary.
According to some one in the know of the UK laws, any efforts by Uganda government to salvage her mat yield not much , possibly God can come into the equation and the presiding judge applies some sort of leniency.
Otherwise in the awaited May 2 ,2025 sentencing of Mugambe she can at worst suffer life in prison, deportation or any thing.
All this follows a prosecutors convincing court that Mugambe “took advantage of the accusing woman’s status”, preventing her from holding down steady employment while forcing her to work as her maid and provide childcare for free.
The 49-year-old, who is also a High Court judge in Uganda, 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.
She will be sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on May 2.
Investigations indicate that the woman in question had worked for the judge while in Uganda and when she relocated to the UK for her PhD studies she reached out for her.
With the woman interacting with some “nkubakyeyo” as she took the judge’s children out in the parks, they advised her to how she was being paid poorly and that she should ask for more payments.
As they talk intensified, the woman must have told her advisers how the judge allegedly had control over her passport . It’s here that they advised her to call police and the rest is how the case in question came about.
Police swung into action and the judge was soon getting quizzed.
She then had allegedly had a conversation with the officer, in which she said: “I am a judge in my country, I even have immunity. I am not a criminal.”
Asked to reaffirm that she had immunity, Mugambe told the officer: “Yes, I have a diplomatic passport.”
The conversation ended with the defendant saying: “I came here as a student, I don’t need anyone to work for me.
“I didn’t come with her, she asked me because she has worked at my home before, she asked me.”
Gasps were heard from the public gallery as the verdicts were given, and the court was cleared as the defendant appeared unwell.
Caroline Haughey KC, prosecuting, told jurors during the trial: “Lydia Mugambe has exploited and abused [her alleged victim], taking advantage of her lack of understanding of her rights to properly paid employment and deceiving her as to the purpose of her coming to the UK.”
She alleged Mugambe, who was studying for a law PhD at the University of Oxford, had conspired with Ugandan deputy high commissioner John Leonard Mugerwa to arrange for the young woman to come to the UK.
Prosecutors said the pair participated in a “very dishonest” trade-off, in which Mr Mugerwa arranged for the Ugandan High Commission to sponsor the woman’s entrance into the UK.
In exchange Mugambe would attempt to speak to a judge who was in charge of legal action Mr Mugerwa was named in, jurors heard.
She was also found guilty of conspiring to intimidate the woman to withdraw her support for the prosecution, and to have the charges against her dropped.
‘Diplomatic immunity’
Mugambe’s trial heard she had the intention of “obtaining someone to make her life easier and at the least possible cost to herself”.
She denied forcing the young Ugandan woman to do household chores and said she “always” treated her with love, care and patience.
The young woman Mugambe tricked into coming to the UK, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court previously she felt “lonely” and “stuck” after her working hours were limited.
According to her UN profile page, Mugambe was appointed to the body’s judicial roster in May 2023, three months after police were called to her address in Oxfordshire.
Thames Valley Police commander for Oxfordshire, Ch Supt Ben Clark, said: “Lydia Mugambe is an extremely qualified lawyer, a Ugandan High Court judge and a UN Criminal Tribunal judge.
“After the offences had been reported to the police, Mugambe tried to evade justice by repeatedly claiming she had diplomatic immunity due to her status.
“Any immunity Mugambe may have enjoyed as a UN judge has been waived by the Office of the United Nations Secretary General.”
Even her admission at her university may be withdrawn since she is legally a criminal.
Her hopes can only be if she is only deported from UK or allowed to serve her sentence if given from her country Uganda but this can best work if UK had a prisoner on an equivalent sentence in Uganda according to legal personnel.
As for the woman maid she will likely be given a refugee status in UK for safeguarding her fir any possible anger back home from those who may sympathize with Mugambe.
As for Nduta, her fate was sealed on March 6,2025 when the Ho Chi Minh court sentenced her to death for trafficking over two kilograms of cocaine and so far Kenya’s efforts to save her haven’t yielded.
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