A Ugandan judge and United Nations appointee, Lydia Mugambe, has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison by a UK court for exploiting a young woman under modern slavery laws.

The 50-year-old was convicted at Oxford Crown Court on four counts, including two charges under Britain’s Modern Slavery Act.

The court found that Mugambe deceived a young Ugandan woman into traveling to the UK in 2022 with the promise of supporting her studies at the University of Oxford. Instead, she was forced to work without pay as a domestic servant.

Mugambe, who has served as a judge of Uganda’s High Court since 2013, was appointed as a United Nations judge in 2023. The case has sparked international concern, particularly given her position within global justice institutions.

-DWAfrica