Bruce Mackenzie (Kenyan politician)

Bruce Mackenzie
Born 1919
Richmond, Natal Province, South Africa
Died 24 May 1978 (aged 59)
above Ngong Hills, Kenya
Cause of death
 Time bomb
Title Kenyan Minister of Agriculture

Bruce Roy Douglas Mackenzie DSO DFC (1919 – 24 May 1978) was a South African-born Kenyan politician. He was the Minister of Agriculture in Kenya[1] during the presidency of Jomo Kenyatta, to whom he was an adviser. For many years he was the only white minister in post-independent Kenya.[2] He is widely believed to have been an agent for British and Israeli intelligence.[3]

Early life

Mackenzie was born in 1919 in Richmond in South Africa's Natal Province. He joined the South African Air Force in 1939, and was seconded to Britain's Royal Air Force during World War II, with which he saw action in North Africa, the Mediterranean and European theatres. Following his air force service, he emigrated to Kenya in 1946 and became a prominent farmer in Nakuru.[4]

Political career

In January 1976, Mackenzie was involved in the capture of two German and three Arab suspected terrorists wanted by Israel for an attempted missile attack on an El Al airliner taking off from the airport of Nairobi.[5] The five were secretly transported to Israel and later sentenced to long prison terms.[6]

In late June 1976, during Operation Entebbe Mackenzie persuaded President Kenyatta to permit Israeli Mossad agents to gather information prior to the hostage rescue operation in Uganda, and to allow Israeli Air Force aircraft to land and refuel at a Nairobi airport after the rescue.[7] Before the operation, Mackenzie flew his private plane to Entebbe to enable Mossad agents to take aerial photographs of the airport installations and parked fighter jets which were soon destroyed by the Israeli troops.[3]

In retaliation, Ugandan President Idi Amin ordered Ugandan agents to assassinate Mackenzie, who was killed on 24 May 1978, when a time bomb exploded on his plane as it flew above Ngong Hills, Kenya, in a flight from Entebbe, Uganda.[2][7][8][9] The bomb was reportedly concealed inside either a mounted antelope head or a carved wooden statue in the form of a lion's head Mackenzie had been presented as a gift from Idi Amin just prior to the flight.[10][11]

Later, Mossad Chief Director Meir Amit had a forest planted in Israel in Mackenzie's name.[7] He was survived by his wife, Christina and two sons[12]

References

  1. ↑ Kenya Gazette. 11 May 1966. p. 500. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Ugandan agents killed former Cabinet minister, says dossier". Standard Digital News. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Oluoch, Fred (22 July 2013). "Spy who was killed in plane crash". The Daily Nation. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  4. ↑ Maxon, Robert M. (2014). Historical Dictionary of Kenya. ISBN 0810874695.
  5. ↑ Kahana, Ephraim (2006). Historical Dictionary of Israeli Intelligence. Oxford: Scarecrow Press. p. 171. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Two German Terrorists Repatriated Before Completing 10-year Term Read more: http://www.jta.org/1980/12/26/archive/two-german-terrorists-repatriated-before-completing-10-year-term#ixzz388vgoxom". JTA.org. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 26 December 1980. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Melman, Yossi. "A history of cooperation between Israel and Kenya". JPost. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  8. ↑ Ephraim Kahana (2006). Historical Dictionary of Israeli Intelligence. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  9. ↑ Entebbe: The Most Daring Raid of Israel's Special Forces – Simon Dunstan – Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  10. ↑ Gawaya-Tegulle, Tom (7 September 1997). "Background Article: Angry Amin Takes Revenge (Entebbe Raid Part 4)". The Monitor. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  11. ↑ Cooper, Carole (1993). Kenya: The National Epic. Nairobi: East African Publishers. p. 209.
  12. ↑ http://www.thepeerage.com/p14940.htm#i149398

External links