Bruce Mackenzie

January, 1919 (age 59)

South Africa"s Natal Province

He was the Minister of Agriculture in Kenya during the presidency of Jomo Kenyatta, to whom he was an adviser. He is alleged to have been an agent for British and Israeli intelligence. He joined the South African Air Force in 1939, and was seconded to Britain"s Royal Air Force during World 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. 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 First Rate (at Lloyd's) airliner taking off from the airport of Nairobi. The five were secretly transported to Israel and later sentenced to long prison terms. In late June 1976, during Operation Entebbe, Mackenzie persuaded Kenyan President Kenyatta to permit Mossad to collect intelligence prior to the operation, and to allow the Israeli Air Force access to the Nairobi airport. 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. In retaliation, Ugandan President Idi Amin ordered Ugandan agents to assassinate Mackenzie. He was killed on 24 May 1978 when a bomb attached to his aircraft exploded. 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. Later, Mossad Chief Director Meir Amit had a forest planted in Israel in Mackenzie"s name.

Bruce Mackenzie

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politician

Background

Mackenzie was born in 1919 in Richmond in South Africa"s Natal Province.

Career

He was the Minister of Agriculture in Kenya during the presidency of Jomo Kenyatta, to whom he was an adviser. He is alleged to have been an agent for British and Israeli intelligence. He joined the South African Air Force in 1939, and was seconded to Britain"s Royal Air Force during World 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.

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 First Rate (at Lloyd's) airliner taking off from the airport of Nairobi. The five were secretly transported to Israel and later sentenced to long prison terms.

In late June 1976, during Operation Entebbe, Mackenzie persuaded Kenyan President Kenyatta to permit Mossad to collect intelligence prior to the operation, and to allow the Israeli Air Force access to the Nairobi airport. 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.

In retaliation, Ugandan President Idi Amin ordered Ugandan agents to assassinate Mackenzie.

He was killed on 24 May 1978 when a bomb attached to his aircraft exploded. 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. Later, Mossad Chief Director Meir Amit had a forest planted in Israel in Mackenzie"s name.

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Bruce Mackenzie

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