Justice Lydia Mugambe of the High Court of Uganda is reported to have been arraigned in court on August 7.
Reports of her prosecution surfaced earlier this week on Ugandan media outlets, a few days after Thames Valley Police confirmed on October 22, 2024, that a woman with the same name had been charged with three counts related to modern slavery.
The charges brought by the UK's Crown Prosecution Service include one count of conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-UK national. The 49-year-old was also charged with one count of arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with intent to exploit, and one count of requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour.
In response to the media reports linking Mugambe to the incident, the Chief Justice of Uganda issued a statement late on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. The Chief Justice's office noted that the Judiciary had reached out to UK authorities to ascertain the facts of the case and would release a detailed statement soon.
'The attention of the Chief Justice of Uganda has been drawn to media reports that Hon. Lady Justice Lydia Mugambe, of the High Court of Uganda, has been charged in a UK court,' stated Chief Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo. 'The Hon. Chief Justice is engaging relevant government authorities regarding the matter, after which a formal communication will be issued.'
Mugambe's trial is scheduled for February 10, 2025, and is expected to last for three weeks.
Family sources who spoke to the Daily Monitor suggested that Mugambe could be a victim of a scheme by a girl she helped travel to the UK.
According to the sources, the girl had intended to go elsewhere but was advised by her friends upon arrival in the UK to report that she was being held against her will to gain permanent residence and employment benefits.
'...That was her first stop when she arrived in the UK, and she got comfortable there. But she wasn't supposed to stay. She was advised by other girls in the neighbourhood that she could obtain permanent papers and more opportunities if she claimed she was being held against her will, which wasn't the case at all,' a source was quoted as saying.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
