Until her recent arrest over charges of modern-day slavery in the United Kingdom, Justice Lydia Mugambe Ssali’s legal career appeared to be headed only in one direction: Up.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!She was a High Court judge in Uganda, had served as a judge on a UN Tribunal and had enrolled at the prestigious University of Oxford in the UK for a PhD in Law. Her research focus was “Constitutional Justiciability of Maternal Health Rights.”
Silver spoon, glorious career
Mugambe, 49, was born with a silver spoon. Born with two siblings, her late father, Prof Ezra Ssenkubuge Mugambe was a man of many accomplishments. He was a shareholder and director in Tefe Trust Bank, managing director of Kampala Engravers, chairperson of the Ssekabaka Muteesa I Foundation (SMF) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA).
Being the last born, Mugambe was the typcial “daddy’s girl.” Her wealthy father went to great lengths to spoil her, according to someone who grew up with Mugambe and went to school with her.
Yet even when life had afforded her all the good things, Mugambe did not lose focus.
She was among the top students in her law class at Makerere University and holds two master’s degrees in Law ( Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the University of Pretoria, South Africa and in International Law and Intellectual Property Rights Law from Lund University, Sweden).
While in her late 30s, Mugambe got married to renowned sports journalist, Mark Ssali who went on to serve in the communications department of Uganda National Roads Authority. Ssali left UNRA in mysterious circumstances.
But Mugambe trudged on. In 2016, St Mary’s College Namagunga, her alma mater, awarded her a certificate of excellence, the school’s highest recognition for its old girls.
Similarly, her rise within Uganda’s judiciary was marked by notable achievements. She first gained prominence as a magistrate, known for her meticulous attention to legal detail and her compassion in handling cases.
This reputation earned her a position as a High Court judge in 2013, where she presided over several high-profile cases. Her rulings in cases involving human rights violations and corruption cemented her image as a defender of justice.
In 2017, Mugambe awarded a couple Shs 85 million as compensation after one of their twin children went missing at Mulago hospital.
She ruled that it was due to the hospital’s negligence that resulted in the disappearance of the baby – subjecting the couple to psychological torture.
Colleagues and legal practitioners often pointed to her integrity and willingness to challenge entrenched power structures as defining qualities of her career.
At some point, it was believed that it would be a matter of time before she is appointed a judge on the court of Appeal, the second-ranking court.
Turn of Events
The first sign of trouble for her came in September 2020 when President Museveni rescinded her appointment as Inspector General of Government (IGG) to replace Irene Mulyagonja.
Sources told us that the president had been advised against her appointment by intelligence which claimed that Mugambe’s husband Mark Ssali had been involved in some kind of mess at UNRA, a baggage the new IGG would have to carry. Museveni later tapped Beti Kamya for the role.
Mugambe later served as judge on the UN’s International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals and her term was supposed to expire on June 30, 2026.
She had applied for leave to pursue her doctoral studies in the UK when she fell into her current legal troubles.
Early accounts suggest that Mugambe may have been drawn into a scheme involving immigration breaches, potentially exploiting vulnerable individuals in her employ. It is alleged that she facilitated the illegal entry of domestic workers into the UK under false pretenses and subjected them to conditions that amounted to modern-day slavery.
Modern-day slavery is considered a grave offence in the UK. If found guilty Mugambe could spend a lengthy spell behind bars.
Mugambe’s descent into legal infamy appears to be the result of several factors, including personal ambition, a potential lapse in judgment, and the allure of circumventing legal frameworks for convenience.
For a judge with broad legal experience and international exposure, some wonder how Mugambe could have fallen into such a deep hole.
Some people have argued that circumstances in the UK may have exposed her to financial pressures or societal expectations that clouded her moral compass.
Whatever the outcome of the case, her judicial career is now in jeopardy. Even if she were to be exonerated of all the charges, it would leave a blot on her otherwise stellar career