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No true account of Kenyan history would be complete without the mention of South African-born Kenyan settler, Bruce McKenzie

1/
His political ties, involvement with British & Israeli spies, the Israeli raid on Entebbe and corporate linkages could be fodder for a movie

A thread
2/
Per the Citizen Weekly, McKenzie's story is that of how colonial ties continued after independence and how British companies continued to dominate commerce and industry after independence

McKenzie was the original and "ultimate tenderpreneur"

thecitizen.co.tz/news/1840340-5…
3/
Born in 1919 in Durban, SA, the ex-SA Airforce officer emigrated to Kenya in 1946 and became a farmer in Nakuru.

McKenzie was the only white member of Kenya's first cabinet and the only pre-colonial minster retained in the post-colonial cabinet.
4/
He was a member of the LegCo 1957-63, held the posts of Minister for Agriculture 1959-60 & Minister for Land Settlement 1962-63. He was elected to the House of Representatives (KANU) in 1963 and appointed Minister for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry

pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/24999139120…
5/
It is instructive to note that white-settler led agriculture was the backbone of the Kenyan economy at independence and contributed over 80% of exports while employing probably half of all workers in the country.
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Along with Gichuru and Angaine, McKenzie made proposals on the implementation of the million-acre scheme including the creation of a Yeo-man scheme for experience farmers & a peasant scheme for others.

The yeo-man scheme favored wealthy ex-loyalists.

digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/cgi/viewconten…
7/
When it came to managing relations with Britain, McKenzie and Charles Njonjo were Kenyatta's preferred conduits

Sir Malcolm McDonald, is quoted as saying McKenzie was recruited by the MI6, just before or immediately after Kenya’s independence.

nation.co.ke/dailynation/ne…
8/
This connection was critical to Britain maintaining a stranglehold on national policy and keeping an eye on their former colony, while pulling the strings on various aspects of policy and governance.

books.google.co.ke/books?id=iyIzD…
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McKenzie and Njonjo also had direct influence on the appointment of senior civil servants in government, some of whom were carry overs from the colonial government

This helped cement the colonial stranglehold on an independent Kenya.

books.google.co.ke/books?id=iyIzD…
10/
In Aug 1965, McKenzie was cleared by Justice Hancox of the murder of Mukungu Hassan, who he shot outside his house in Mombasa.

When the result of the inquest caused an uproar in parliament, Njonjo stepped in to put an end to the matter.

books.google.co.ke/books?id=iyIzD…
11/
After the 1969 elections, McKenzie was again appointed Minister of Agriculture instead of the widely expected JM Kariuki whose anti-colonial stance and growing advocacy for the underprivileged painted him in bad light with the ruling elite.
12/
A year later, Mckenzie resigned from the cabinet likely due to pressure from growing concerns about his connection with British intelligence.

This in turn reduced British insight into the inner circles of government in Kenya, a good thing.
13/
After his retirement from govt, McKenzie built vast business interests and was a director of Kenya Airways, CMC, and formed the Africa Liaison and Consulting Services Co. (Alico) alongside Ben Gethi, Njonjo and Kanyotu. Moi & Kibaki were shareholders.

businessdailyafrica.com/news/Kiereini-…
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He also secured the Volkswagen dealership in Kenya, along with his pal, Charles Njonjo and was a distributor of radio communications equipment through Wilken Telecommunications.
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He also landed a lucrative tender for the supply of Land Rover vehicles to the Kenya government and it's security forces and worked with the Amin government on a number of state projects including
16/
Rumoured to have been the person that convinced Kenyatta to allow the Israelis to gather intelligence for the Entebbe raid and to refuel in Nairobi thereafter, McKenzie might have aroused the anger of idi Amin and his sidekick, Bob Astles
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As an aside, Bob Astles was a British born, naturalised Ugandan and the brains behind the notorious State Research Bureau, which tortured, maimed and killed scores of Ugandans during the Amin era. He was also Amin's chief adviser.
18/
A highly secret meeting to plan the Entebbe raid was held at Njonjo's Muthaiga home in 1976

The meeting between Njonjo and Mossad agents, included GSU's Ben Gethi, commissioner of police Benard Hinga and former Cabinet minister Bruce McKenzie...

businessdailyafrica.com/lifestyle/soci…
19/
McKenzie's business interests saw him make numerous trips to Uganda where he supplied Amin with tanks, weapons & telecommunications equipment.

On his last fateful trip in 1978, he was accompanied by his associate Keith Savage and a former Lonrho accountant, Gavin Whitelaw.
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On the way back from Uganda, their plane blew up midair killing everyone on board.

One story is that Bob Astles, Amin's side-kick had placed a bomb disguised a lion's head statue (a gift) on the plane as revenge for the Entebbe Raid.

nation.co.ke/news/Mossad--M…
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True of the matter is, no one really knows who killed McKenzie and Idi Amin was quick to distance himself from any insinuation that he ordered the bombing as retaliation for the Entebbe Raid.
22/
In 2015, McKenzie's 1,800-acre Malu Ranch, set deep in the heart of Naivasha, was put for sale, for an eye-watering Sh4.5bn, making it the most expensive property on sale that year.

businessdailyafrica.com/news/Bruce-Mac…
15b/
Including... supply of Land Rovers for Amin's State Research Bureau, a bullet-proof broadcasting station for Amin and supply of arms through his British contacts at MI6.
23/
Fitz de Souza's on McKenzie👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿

Kenyatta also liked to eat well, especially after his time in prison, often putting away three or four steaks for dinner. When we asked for the bill, ...it had already been taken care of.

'By whom?

Mr Mackenzie.'

headlinesofmylife.today/2019/05/fitz-w…
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